The Crest of The Heavens
by ArchangelUK
Summary: Ch 12 of 20: The end of DigiWorld awaits 35 years after 02. Jarret, the last DigiDestined, journeys back 34yrs into the past to stop events that will ultimatly lead to the destruction of it all. But what memories torment him & what is his dark secret?
1. The End

**The Crest of The Heavens  
By ArchangelUK**

_I do not own Digimon, If I did I wouldn't have ignored half a dozen storylines started in 02 and never finished._

**Chapter 1: The End**

The sky was no longer as bright as it used to be in the digital world, a stark contrast to the time now christened "The Golden Age" by digimon. To think that such wonderous times had been barely a generation ago was proof enough that all was not well, on a tall mountain in a distant part of the digitalworld, two figures talked to what appeared to be the clouds from a distance. Alas, on closer inspection you would have realised it not to be that, but a large (and very faint) blue dragon digimon. The youth looked up at Azulongmon, then at the small digimon and back to Azulongmon.

"I can't do it any more Azulongmon."

"I know my boy, every day the digital world grows weaker as do I," Azulongmon let out a long sigh, the unclassified mega looked pained somehow, the human couldn't help but agree.

"Myself too, I can't do a job that was supposed to be for two people, when we merged the two to save the digital world I was able to maintain the balance."

"As you say Guardian of the Balance, but believe me you have done well, infact more than was expected of you." Azulongmon boomed.

"But not well enough, I can no longer keep that balance and the digital world is doomed."

The youth looked down at his shoes, the small digimon looked at him with a mixture of understanding and confusion. He too looked towards the ground, the youth winced there had been that hint of contempt against him again. Would his friend ever be able to let that go?

"You are right." The dragon continued, causing the digimon to look up.

"What do you mean he's right? We have to fight this!"

"Little one, you try as hard as he but you were only supposed to be the protector of one not the protector of two. You believe as he does that you are somehow responsible for all of this but you are not." Azulongmon lowered his head so he was at eye-level with the digimon, he closed his eyes and sighed,

"You think you would be letting her down, I see you still wear her talisman around your wrist."

The digimon looked down towards the gold band encircling his right arm, he looked up at Azulongmon with anger in his small eyes. "That is neither here nor there!" He squeaked angrily.

"Please." Jarret whispered, pulling the digimon back down to the ground. "Calm yourself, not now..." He turned back to the dragon, "What can I do?"

"You must go back in time to before the events that ultimately led to their deaths took place."

"When was that?"

"34 years ago."

"34 years?" Jarret and the digimon exclaimed, "They weren't even my age then."

"I will send you back there, it will take all of my remaining power to do so and I can only send you. You my digimon friend must stay here."

"What will happen to the worlds after I go."

"Without the guardian powers to keep them in check, the warp will collapse, kind of an implosion-explosion. They will be destroyed, but they will be so anyway unless you succeed." Azulongmon said, matter of factly,

"But, the digimon. You. Everyone I know."

"It matters not, not in the long run. You must find the event that lead us all down this path and stop it, prevent it any which way you can. But be wary of your actions for as soon as you arrive you will be upsetting the events that led to their victory. Yet also to their inevitable defeat by fate."

Jarret's brow knotted and he bit his lip. "Who causes this incident?"

"The fight is caused by Nemisomon."

"Nemisomon? But he's been missing for years!"

"Now you know where he went to." The digimon answered for Azulongmon and instantly regretted his tone.

"So this is my fault." The youth collapsed to his knees holding his head, 

_It is my fault!_ His mind screamed.

"No! Nemisomon acted under his own will, there were no black gears, dark rings or control spires affecting his actions."

"But, if I am to avoid all the events that have transpired - "

"- Then you must follow the path to your destiny."

"But, my destiny...does that involve my..."

"I'm sorry Jarret, I do not know. Maybe when my past-self realises who you are he will understand but now I am too weak to help you any more." The digimon had digivolved and created the gate, Azulongmon concentrated, sweat poured down his face and the sky started to glow yellow. The blue light of Azulongmon and the yellow light of the sky wrapped around the gate, transforming it into a shining portal of silver. Without hesitation Jarret stepped through, and it closed up behind him, as the little digimon and Azulongmon watched there was a loud crack, the ground began to shake and the sky turned black.

"Farewell Jarret," Azulongmon whispered, "Good luck."

And then all that was...was no more.

* * *

_Where has the youth been sent? Who is he? Who was the digimon he was with? What did Azulongmon mean by "Guardian of the Balance"? What does this have to do with the digidestined we know? And what is the dark secret that tortures his memory? Find out in the next chapter of 'The Crest of the Heavens'   
  
ArchangelUK _0:-)


	2. Arrivals

**The Crest of The Heavens  
By ArchangelUK**

I do not own Digimon, hence I write fanfiction in a dark house, devoid of heat and lacking in retail value.

Davis: I can't believe it's already been a year, since me and the guys defeated MaloMiyotismon with our digimon. Things are really starting to change here in the real world as everyone comes to terms with the existance of digimon and the Digital World, Ken's moved schools to Odaiba High, the original DigiDestined are all excelling in their chosen careers. Things are finally at peace the only thing that's worrying me a bit is Kari seems a bit off at the moment, T.S has noticed it too and is really concerned about her. He says that if she feels somethings wrong then it might be bad news for all of us! Don't know what he means by that exactly but whatever happens we'll be there together, but now it's celebration time! I just hope Yolei's bringing enough food for me and Veemon...

**Chapter 2: Arrivals**

_"On the day there is 13 a choice is made, a path is taken, and that path shall lead 13 to light and 1 to shadow."_  
- The Prophecy of The Thirteenth DigiDestined

Davis and Yolei threw themselves to the ground as the blast whistled over their heads. "Who the hell is that?" Davis shouted.

"I don't know, but he doesn't seem to like us." Matt replied, he and Tai were both dragging Sora, (despite the fact that she was quite capable of running on her own,) to safety. Tai looked at Matt who shot a glance back, despite the strength of their friendship things between them were still a little sore...

It was the first aniversary of the day Yolei, Davis, Ken, Cody, Kari and TK had finally defeated Miyotismon once and for all. Things were going well, with all the twelve digidestined meeting their digimon partner. Or rather those who were not with them at the time, and they had begun to eat an extremely large picnic made jointly by Sora, Yolei and Ken. Although Ken had been there just to be with Yolei and Davis, as he had pointed out, had made the noodles.  
  
Things were going swimingly until a large dark cloud had blotted out what had been a beautiful blue sky and a large digimon had appeared and hurled an attack at them. The digidestined had never seen such a digimon, clearly an ultimate, he was nerely twenty-four feet tall. Huge. He was human-ish in appearence but had features that would remind you of Paildramon and BlackWarGreymon, he was not a mix and match digimon like Chimeramon but there was also elements that just seemed to be familiar.

"Dark Venom!" The digimon boomed, and another blast of power ingulfed the discarded picnic, obliterating sandwiches, rice cakes and noodles.

"Oh..." Yolei and Sora groaned.

"Hey!" Davis yelled, "I made those!" He made to get up but Joe grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and hauled him down again.

"Are you crazy - or did wearing Tai's goggles cut of the blood supply to your brain?"

"But, I-"

"Oh, shut up!" The older boy exclaimed, causing Veemon to tug on Davis' leg.

"You know that only Ken and TK brought their D3's so let them deal with it."

"Dark Venom!"

"Hand of Fate!" Angemon called and the two attacks obliterated each other. TK stood in front of the rock the others were sheltering behind with Ken, Kari and Gatomon. Kari stood behind TK, whilst Gatomon tugged at her foot trying to get her to move back.

"Kari there isn't any need for you to be out here get behind the rock to safety." She said, tugging even more frantically.

"No, I'm staying here."

"Kari..." The voice was TK's, "Please, go shelter behind the rock with the others."

I can't concentrate on the battle if I have to worry whether you're safe, his mind added. Kari looked at him and nodded sadly she moved from behind TK and sought shelter in the rocks. A she went past, Ken gently grabbed her wrist, she looked around confused, Ken smiled and whispered to her

"Don't worry, he'll be fine." She blushed a bit, and went to say something but Gatomon had finally lost patience and leapt up grabbing Kari's shoulder and almost throwing her behind the rocks.

"Spiking strike!"

"Dark Venom!" the attack hit Stingmon, knocking him backwards and straight into Angemon, they landed on the ground groaning and de-digivolved back to Wormmon and Patamon.

"Oh..." Patamon moaned, TK and Ken ran over to gather their digimon

The digimon began to walk slowly towards TK and Ken, each footstep made the ground shake.

"Someone do something!" Sora pleaded,

"We can't take him on." Palmon replied

"We wouldn't last five seconds." Armadillomon moaned in his typical southern drawl.

"That's it." Tai said, "We'll do something, try it Agumon - distract him."

"Pepper breath!" The little digimon unleashed a ball of flame at the ultimate, but with little effect - he wasn't even phased by it, and actually backhanded it towards Ken and Wormmon. They leapt to safety as the spot they had been only an instant before was set aflame.

"Oops." Agumon turned to Tai, "I guess we'll have to think of something else.

"You guessed right, well you might want to think about doing something soon. He's going after them!" Mimi wailed, as the digimon resumed his movement towards Ken. He loomed over the former digimon emporer and raised his right arm, Wormmon and Ken were frozen to the spot as a ball of blue flame appeared in it's hand. It was about to anihilate the boy when it was struck in the back by a blast of powerful air.

"Boom Bubble!"

"Arrgh." It groaned, more in surprise than in pain. Patamon was up again, but not for long - that one attack used up most of his already depleated energy and he collapsed back into TK's arms. He and TK had been trying to buy Ken some time, but all it had done was to change his target, it spun around and leveled an accusing finger at Patamon's partner.

"You!" The digimon screamed, pointing at TK. "YOU!" he bellowed, "The keeper of hope - you think that you can defeat anyone don't you." The eyes were yellow and slitted, it had been the first time the digimon had spoken save for it's attacks; the voice was low and menacing but at a volume that smashed into your ears and vereberated through your brain. It radiated darrkness and hatred, all directed at the boy in the cream coloured hat who stood his ground nervously.

What is it? What does it want with us? How does it know who I am?

"We haven't failed yet." TK finally yelled back, his arms cradling an exhausted Patamon, "Who are you?"

"I..." He seemed to grow in size,

"I..." Looming over both of them,

"I...AM NEMISOMON! And you, keeper of hope, the 'angel' of light and all the rest of your pathetic digidestined will die. But firstly and most specifically, you." He brought both hands up and a large ball of black cloud began to form, whirling faster and faster as it grew.

"Fatal Darkness!" Nemisomon drew his arms back and threw the ball at Patamon and TK.

"Eternal Light!"

A huge ball of yellow ingulfed Nemisomon's attack before it could reach the pair, everyone turned around in surprise to see a youth standing on the crest of the hill adjacent to where the digidestined were.

"It can't be..." Nemisomon muttered.

"Oh it is."

"Jarret? Is that you, how nice of you to pay me a visit." Nemisomon narrowed his eyes and the claws on the back of his hands seemed to extend.

"I'm not here for pleasantries. I'm here to stop you, I know what you were trying to do." The youth began to walk down the small hill, he was about eighteen years old and at least six foot tall, what was the most striking thing about him was that his clothes were all gold, and shone brightly. "You think you are strong enough to face me Nemisomon?" The youth questioned, "Do you think you have a chance?" The digimon laughed loudly causing the ground to shake violently, but the youth didn't seem to move.

"Well, maybe not now Jarret but let us see how you fare in time. Your powers are not unlimited and they are drained every minuted of every hour. I will bide my time and we shall see who is strong enough in the end."

"We shall, and we will all be ready."

"So Jarret, it begins." With that Nemisomon snapped his fingers and disappeared in a cloud of black smoke, leaving twelve digidestined and one gold clad youth choking on plumes of dust.

* * *

_As usual any (good) comments please review and if you have any questions you can put them in the reviews as well, I read all my reviews so I'll pop up an answer on their for you or email if you leave your address._

_AAUK 0:-) _

Kari's Angels - http://www.geocities.com/happy_hylian  
AAUK's Mini-Site (Including news on Clarity, Crest of The Heavens, etc) - http://www.geocities.com/happy_hylian/aauk/main.html


	3. The 13th DigiDestined

**The Crest of The Heavens  
By ArchangelUK **

I do not own Digimon, however I do own a condo in Florida... or is that a condor... Oh, I don't know...

Yolei: Is nothing sacred? All the DigiDestined - even Mimi who's just come back from America were meeting up for a celebratory picnic, it being a year since the younger guys defeated MaloMiyotismon. We were all enjoying ourselves when out of nowhere an ultimate level digimon called Nemisomon appears and attacks us, he even destroyed the food me and Sora prepared (and Davis noodles)! We were in a tight spot, especially since that incident which reduced all the digimon powers, I wonder what happened then anyway? Only Wormmon and Patamon could digivolve since TK and Ken where the only ones carrying their Digivices. With their strength reduced though this ultimate easily defeated Angemon and Stingmon, TK was about to become toast when some guy in a gold outfit shows up and stops him. Don't tell me we've got to fight all over again?

**Chapter 3: The Thirteenth Digidestined**

_"On the day there is 13 a choice is made, a path is taken, and that path shall lead 13 to light and 1 to shadow."_  
- The Prophecy of The Thirteenth DigiDestined

The 10 digimon and their digidestined partners that still remained behind the rock covered their eyes as the explosion temporarily blinded them. When the brightness dimmed they saw the youth facing off against the ultimate, they saw a brief but intense conversation but couldn't hear the words. Nemisomon seemed to be as surprised as everyone else, he even appeared to the digidestined that he cowered a bit in fear of him but his confidence had returned quickly. The youth had watched as Nemisomon had disappeared before falling down into a crouching position, the 'light' if it had come from him obviously had drained him. It took a good five minutes before anyone could move or even speak, especially after what had been seen and it took the stranger about the same time to recover. Izzy brushed himself down, dust clouding his hair and bits of grit from the...whatever it was, where on his shirt and jeans. Finally he was able to cough two words,

"Who's that?"

"I don't know but I think he just saved us." Tai replied, raking a hand through his hair as everyone helped themselves up. Yeoli's eyes went wide and she suddenly leapt up climbing over the boulders, joining a much faster Kari on top of the pinnacle.

"Ken! TK! Are they okay?"

"Yes." Kari said, pointing to a pair of confused boys also covered in dust, "Thank goodness."

"Thank the guy," Sora corrected. "Did you guys see what he did? He stopped that digimon's attack with some kind of yellow light."

"So...Is he human or digimon?" Matt, with hair somehow intact asked standing up. "Is there any way to be sure..Izzy?"

"Well, don't look at me...why don't you ask him.""

"You do it Gabumon." Agumon said, prodding his friend in the back.

"No way, the crest of courage is your deal, not mine."

"Well, I, er...Palmon?"

"Would you mind if I didn't this time around..." Palmon said, clutching onto Mimi. "My horoscope said I should avoid meeting potentially dangerous people I couldn't defend myself against." Mimi looked at her partner and sighed,

"Look someone will have to, I'll do it if I must." 

Gatomon stopped her, "No offence Mimi but I think I'll do it, obviously our brave boys need some time to compose themselves."

"Hey, I'm not afraid...I'm just cautious that's all." Matt said folding his arms, the others and their digimon did the same except that is two, 

_Hey, If I volunteer I'll impress Gatomon..._

_Hey, If I volunteer I'll impress Kari..._

"We'll do it!" Davis and Veemon chorused  


Tai rubbed his eyes with his fingers, "You're too late, Gatomon and Kari have already gone out to check on TK, Ken and our mysterious saviour. I think we can also get out from behind this rock now, don't you think."

Everyone nodded and stood up.

"Is everyone okay? The gold clad youth asked.

"Yeah, just about." TK wheezed,

"Thank goodness for that, I'm Jarret."

"Not meaning to sound ungrateful but, where did you come from?"

"That's a long and somewhat complicated story."

"Are you okay?" Kari asked racing towards them and enveloping TK in a hug,

"Er, yeah...this is Jarret."

"Oh...hi."

"Hi." Jarret managed, it couldn't be her could it?

"Are you human?" Matt asked joining his brother

"Yes Matt, it IS Matt isn't it?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"The hair!"

"Oh."

"I kind of recognise a few of you."

"Recognise?" Tai said puzzled, "We've never met you before."

"This may take some explanation."

Introductions were made, Jarret seemed to get the names of most of the digimon, as well as Yeoli, Matt, Ken, Mimi and Sora. When TK and Kari where introduced Jarret seemed to go slightly pale, but somewhat nervously shook their hands. The same was repeated when introduced to Patamon, Gatomon though was the last to be introduced;

"Gatomon?" Jarret blinked, not believing what his sight was telling him.

"In the fur."

"It's...good to see you again Gatomon."

"You know me too?"

"Yes. I...know you."

Gatomon saw brief flashes of pain go across Jarret's eyes, he looked away from her and stood up. TK and Ken had a couple of mild grazes whilst Patamon and Wormon were just tired, a couple of hours later they all sat down for what was salvaged from the picnic remains.

"So you never answered Matt, are you human?" Yeoli asked suspiciously.

"Yes, I am human." Jarret chuckled, running a thumb through his dusty hair displacing some and causing him to cough for a couple of seconds.

"But if you are human, how could you do...that?" Ken pointed to a crater where the 'Eternal Light' had impacted, Jarret thought about this for a moment so as to explain clearly.

"I don't know." He finally admitted, "It's probably due to the fact that I don't have a digimon partner any more. Maybe my crest gives me all of it's energy as opposed to channelling it through me into my digimon."

"You have a crest?" Matt asked,

"Yeah." Jarret reached underneath his shirt and pulled up two chains, one of which held a crest and tag. The crest was five bolts of lightning connected together at their tops to create a perfect pentagon in the centre. Oddly enough the pendant held the same shape and was crafted in gold with a silver pentagon at it's centre, Jarret quickly tucked it back under his shirt before anyone could see any more details on it. The crest glowed a little a Jarret's touch and he held it up for the others to see, they each inspected it as it was coming around to Gatomon and Kari it seemed to glow a little more.

"Hmm, it likes you." Jarret joked, just before there was a shimmer of light and a wisp of smoke as a middle-aged man appeared wearing grey robes and a puzzled expression. Before he could speak he was mobbed by the digidestined and a flood of questions, however the loudest and most ticked off was Mimi.

"Gennai! What's going on? We were just attacked by a digimon!"

"Attacked?" Gennai said blinking, "What do you mean?"

"Attacked, you know - set upon, almost killed!" Tai said mockingly,

"Killed? By what?"

"A DIGIMON!"

"And if it hadn't been for this guy, goodness knows what might have happened." Said Matt, indicating towards Jarret. Gennai seemed not to really take Jarret in at first glance, that was until Jarret once more took out his crest and showed it to him. Gennai seemed to stop breathing, his eyes bulged and he involuntarily took a step back in surprise. After about thirty seconds of trying, he finally managed to choke out

"The Crest of the Heavens!" He gasped again taking in air, Jarret moved forward to grab Gennai by the arm, it must have been quite a shock to him to find out that...well... "I thought... but that means, you're from the future."

"The future!?" The digidestined chorused, a little ball of sweat appeared on Jarret's forehead as he grinned almost nervously.

"I, Er, hadn't got up to that bit yet."

"So that's how you recognise us!" Davis realised, "Hey have the Martians taken over the Earth or something?"

"Regrettably it's not that simple." Jarret mumbled, "But, yes that's how I know you." _And the rest..._

"But...the Crest of the Heavens!" Gennai said, still spluttering, "It's not possible, unless."

"Unless what Gennai?" Yeoli said moving beside the old man,

"Unless -"

" - Unless something very bad happens." Jarret finished, clamping his hand around Gennai's mouth before he could say anything else. "Now Gennai, I need you to contact Azulongmon, I need to speak to him...I'm sure he won't object especially when you tell him that the fabled thirteen digidestined has appeared.

_"On the day there is thirteen a choice is made, a path is taken, and that path shall lead thirteen to light and one to shadow."_ Gennai recited, Jarret nodded and the old man still rather shaken disappeared in the same manner he arrived.

The silence was broken by Agumon, "Why do you need to speak to Azulongmon."

"I have a few questions that need answering and I'm somewhat dreading the answers."

"Then why go and see him at all?" The orange digimon of courage continued,

"Because the future depends upon it."

The questions kept coming and soon it was mid-evening, the digidestined had elected to stay in the digital world until this new threat was dealt with. A fire was burning and as Cody and Yeoli prepared some marshmallows Mimi turned to Jarret.

"So why are you here Jarret?" the youth winced, he didn't want to do this so soon.

"Because life does not always have a happy ending." He finally said,

"I don't understand."

"I am here," Jarret paused, knowing he had to choose his words carefully, if they found out his true identity heaven knows what could befall the future. He sighed before continuing. "I am here to help you defeat Nemisomon."

"Why do we require help?" Tai asked,

"Yeah." Davis said, "We can take on anything."

"I know, and even if I had not come here I know you would have succeeded." Jarret gave a half smile before looking at Izzy and motioning him to ask the question Jarret knew he must have.

"Then why come at all? The potential risks of time travel on the future surely must outweigh-"

"- The possible benefits, I know Izzy. I know all about the law of causality, my arrival here has already changed that future but it had to change anyway." The keeper of knowledge continued his line of questioning.

"Why? If we win then why come back and risk that?"

"Because something happens here that has...rather harmful effects on the future of us all."

"Harmful? What do you mean 'harmful'" TK asked, Jarret seemed to swallow and just looked at TK for a second, before tearing his vision away from him.

"I - can't tell you. Causality."

"Then what can you tell us?" Izzy asked again, causing another sigh to escape Jarret's lungs.

"I don't know much, Azulongmon sent me back here but he was too weak to be able to remember the details."

"Too weak?"

"Gaggh, I'm telling you too much. I'll summarise, between now and when the final battle occurs something happens which make the future go not so good. It could be small, it could be anything but whatever it is I have to stop it."  
Jarret looked around the group, his eyes settling back on Mimi, "Does that make sense?" he asked her, she gave a casual look to Sora as if to ask her if she understood. Sora just gave a half shrug, so Mimi said.

"Sort of but I still don't understand."

"Mimi, you will in time. Answers always come with time."

"But do they come in time?" Mimi countered, Jarret looked towards the sky, how poetic was that last question.

"I hope so Mimi, I hope so."

Later on as the light was fading Veemon walked towards Gatomon who was sitting at the nearby river. Perhaps he thought, if he made small conversation he might be able to get her to like him more.

"So Gatomon, what are you doing?" Veemon asked,

"Nothing." Came her curt reply, though it appeared Gatomon was studying something in her hands with great interest.

"You must be, let me see."

"No Veemon, go away." Gatomon turned away and sat behind a nearby rock. Veemon, who doesn't give in easily and with his curiosity getting the better of him he followed climbing on top of the rock to look over Gatomon's shoulder. Nested in her paws was a beautiful blue butterfly, it waggled it's wings gently, Gatomon smiled as a second joined the first.

"Ooh, pretty." Veemon said startling the two butterflies which flew upwards rapidly into his face.

"Veemon!"

"Ah, help they're attacking me!" Veemon cried, losing his balanced and falling off of the rock straight into Gatomon knocking her flying into the river.

"Help!" Gatomon's cry echoed throughout the valley, the digimon was disappearing rapidly down stream caught by a very strong underlying current. "Help me!"

"Gatomon!" Kari cried, she and the others rushed to the river.

"I'm coming Gatomon." Patamon yelled as he went to dive in but was stopped by TK,

"What are you thinking Patamon, you can't swim!"

"Leave it to us," Joe said. "Go Gomamon!"

Gomamon dived head first into the water and was soon powering towards Gatomon, five minutes later and he had managed to drag the waterlogged feline to the bank where they both gasped taking in plenty of oxygen and spitting out plenty of H20.

"Gatomon! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"No you're not, look at your paw." Kari pointed to a cut that was slowly turning the surrounding white fur red. Gatomon looked at it surprised before covering it again with her glove, Kari hugged Gatomon tightly whilst Patamon and TK stood beside them, checking their friends were okay.

"It's just a scratch." insisted Gatomon, Jarret was having none of it and stared murderously in Veemon's direction.

"This is your fault you little -"

"- Come on leave him alone Jarret, it's not worth it." Gatomon begged, between licking her injured paw, but this only served to rile Jarret more. She was in pain and was hiding the fact poorly, Jarret stared down at Veemon who had run to stand next to Davis. Kari and TK stared daggers at Davis whilst Jarret glared menacingly at Veemon, the blue digimon however was not afraid merely cautious.

"I didn't mean to..." he said again, "I only wanted to see what she was doing."

"Why can't you just take no for an answer?" Jarret asked, his voice low and menacing something which Veemon somehow missed. Davis missed it too, and tried to deflect the blame whilst simultaneously ushering his friend away.

"Ah, leave him alone Jarret, he's said he was sorry." Jarret stared at Davis amazed, had he actually been listening to the conversation, the one that had just taken place or was he off in some land of his own? His parents had told him of Davis' tendencies but he had assumed these to be merely exaggerations. He noted the boy's attempts to move Veemon away, and so promptly stepped in front to block their progress.

"You Davis, are as much to blame as Veemon."

"What?"

"You are his digidestined partner he is your responsibility."

"Leave Davis alone!" Veemon yelled,

"Yeah Jarret, it's not Davis' fault..and Veemon was only being Veemon." Gatomon tugged at Jarret's leg trying to get him to calm down.

"He hurt you." Jarret said simply, "And he hasn't even apologised."

"You're a fine one to talk," Veemon interjected, "You speak about being responsible for your digimon partner when you don't even have one yourself." Veemon instantly regretted saying that, Jarret's eyes narrowed, Veemon could almost see the flames of rage behind them.

"Listen here fuzzball!" Jarret boomed, stepping towards him

"Hey! Don't call me fuzzball - goldie!" Veemon was getting angry too, though most of it was still bravado to try and rescue the situation with Gatomon. Inside him though he was preying this was some kind of 'test' being played by Jarret. His retort only angered Jarret more though, the voice was no longer booming but almost ridiculously calm...

"You...leave...her...alone..."

"Or what?"

"Get out of my sight, this is the last time I'm warning you."

"Or what Goldie? You think I'm scared of the big bad human? Come on Jarry, put 'em up!" Veemon balled his fists and made a pose like he had seen on all those late night boxing matches.

"What did you call me?" Jarret asked incredulously, he couldn't have called him that name...it would be just too weird.

"Jarry!" Something inside Jarret snapped and his eyes went wide, Veemon went deathly pale, _Now I've done it..._

"THAT TEARS IT!"

Jarret picked Veemon up by the scruff of the neck and with one swift motion hurled him as hard as he could, as ExVeemon Veemon could fly but as plain old Veemon the experience wasn't too thrilling. The digimon landed in the river head first, Gomamon sighed and fished the decidedly bedraggled Veemon out. He was shivering too, not from the cold but from sheer terror, Veemon was helped to the fire whilst Jarret sat in a tree well away from the others.

"Look at him, he's shaking." Gatomon said to Patamon, who was busy checking on his friend's wound.

"Well he would be, he's just been dunked in a freezing river.

"At least it cooled one of them off." Tai said as he and the others rejoined them, "Man, he must have really struck a nerve or something with him."

"It's not Veemon I was referring to." Interrupted Gatomon, pointing to the tree, "Look at Jarret he's shaking too.

"It's just the rage," Matt said, "It'll wear off soon."

"No it isn't." Kari's digimon insisted, "It's not that."

"What is it then?" asked Patamon eagerly, Gatomon stared at the distant figure huddled in the branches, concentrating.

"Fear." She finally said, "He's afraid..."

"Afraid?" TK spluttered, "What, of Veemon?"

"No, of himself..of what he just did - it's almost as if he's hiding something, some part of himself. Something...oh I don't know, but why did he go off like that? Why is he so protective of me?" Gatomon sat down next to Patamon, who patted her uninjured hand reassuringly. Finally he asked the question everyone was secretly thinking,

"And why can you see these things about him so clearly?" Gatomon sighed and shrugged, whilst the gold clad youth sat his feet dangling in the air, still shaking.

"There's something not right here." Gatomon said re-examining the now well healed cut, "Something important."

"What?" Patamon asked.

"I don't know."

"Oh."

"Thankyou by the way for going to jump in after me." Patamon went bright red,

"It was nothing." He mumbled,

"How are you two doing?" Mimi said walking over with Sora.

"Fine now Mimi. We were just talking about Jarret."

"A subject that this one here has not stopped talking on for the last thirty minutes." Sora said jerking a thumb at her friend.

"Hey!" Mimi protested, "It hasn't been that long, and what are you implying by that?"

"Oh please, it is so blatantly obvious you like him." This made Gatomon giggle and she put a paw over her mouth to try and stop herself, Mimi glared angrily at her.

"I do not!"

"You so do!"

"How would you know Sora?"

"Hey - Crest of Love, remember?"

"Ooooh!"

Jarret suddenly got up and began to walk away from the group, in the direction of the forest, the others just stared after him until Mimi ran after him.

"Jarret, where are you going?" Mimi asked grabbing his arm, he turned around and she quickly withdrew it, he wasn't angry with her. In fact he just looked curiously at her, making her blush.

"It's just, no one blames you. We've all wanted to do that to either Veemon or Davis it's just...to actually see someone do it."

"I know, I'm sorry for what just went on."

"Are you hiding something?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Gatomon seems to think you are." Jarret laughed out loud,

"She would, she always does."

"But is there?" Mimi asked, her eyes full of concern and...

"I just need to get away for a little while that's all, clear my head before I see Azulongmon tomorrow. Don't worry, I'll be back before sunrise." Without another word he turned and walked off into the shadows, he didn't even look over his shoulder at her; he wished he had.

Gatomon sat by the river and dragged a damp paw across her forehead, why had Jarret been so defensive of her - poor Veemon. The blue digimon was still shivering by the fire having been dumped in the river headfirst by Jarret. Why was he so nervous around some of the digidestined? He had barely extremely nervous around Tai and Matt and Patamon for some reason now she thought about it - what did it all mean?

Some two hours later, Gatomon sat next to the fire herself, the only one of the party still awake. Questions still whirled in her brain it must have been midnight by human timings and on what would have been the twelfth stroke of that hour Jarret reappeared and sat down on the opposite side to Gatomon. A silence waited patiently to be broken....

* * *

_Please be kind and please review, or else I do have a plan... a plan that will FIX YOU GOOOOOOOOOD! *cough* Sorry._

_AAUK 0:-) _

Kari's Angels - http://www.geocities.com/happy_hylian  
AAUK's Mini-Site (Including news on Clarity, Crest of The Heavens, etc) - http://www.geocities.com/happy_hylian/aauk/main.html


	4. My Past, Your Future

**The Crest of The Heavens  
By ArchangelUK**

_I do not own Digimon, nor do I own anything with interest free credit or 0% APR..._

Gatomon: Twist my tail, things are really getting confusing here; first of all some new ultimate digi bad guy called Nemisomon shows up, then the 'Thirteenth DigiDestined' who happens to be a guy named Jarret from the future. He has a crest as well, the 'Crest of the Heavens' which Gennai was pretty shocked and surprised by and disappeared just as quickly as he arrived to go and get Azulongmon. Jarret seems nice enough, but he seems a bit wary of some of the other DigiDestined, even Patamon! Yet for some reason he seems to want to look out for me which is nice enough, but after an incident with me and Veemon, a big bust up and some pretty childish behaviour Jarret snapped and threw Veemon in a river! Now if only I can figure out what it is that's seemingly tormenting him, get Mimi to stop staring at him and defeat Nemisomon everything will be fine... but at this rate it'll take most of my nine lves to do it!

**Chapter 4: My Past, Your Future**

_"On the day there is 13 a choice is made, a path is taken, and that path shall lead 13 to light and 1 to shadow."_  
- The Prophecy of The Thirteenth DigiDestined

Jarret looked up at the shimmering blue light that filled the sky, he squinted against it until he could make out the long tail of a digimon. The light reduced in intensity so he could make out the image before him, Jarret swallowed, his answers were about to arrive.

"Jarret..." Gatomon began, he looked down at her seeing her concern and gave her a half smile.

"It's OK, I know who it is."

"Do you know who I am?" The voice boomed, making the ground tremble slightly beneath their feet

_Yes... _Jarret answered, then realising he had only thought this spoke up "Yes. You are Azulogmon, guardian digimon of the east." Jarret paused, the wind blew through his hair, he looked Azulogmon in the eye. "Do you know who I am, Azulogmon?"

"Yes." The great dragon said sadly, "And I know why you are here."

"I have but one question, great guardian."

"I know the question you will ask Jarret, the path you choose to follow, if you indeed are the fabled thirteenth digidestined will lead you all to victory. But be wary of such prophecies for they are mearly that and they can be changed or altered from what we would perceive them to be and still remain correct."

"Yes Azulongmon, I have already I beleived solved the mystery of the prophecy but there is one thing I must know, w-with...with my..."

"With his what?" Davis impatiently whispered into Yolei's ear, she shrugged. Jarret continued having regained his composure,

"Will all be changed and those I care for be safe."

"If what you believe is true, then it will be I can help you no more for that is all I know. Good luck Jarret, may your path lie straight and true, farewell digidestined, farewell." Azulongmon vanished as abruptly as he appeared.

"What was that about Jarret?" Kari asked,

"He answered my question, that was all."

Yolei stepped forward, "But Jarret, what did he mean about your 'path'." Jarret refused to answer and walked off in the direction of the forest. At least, he thought, I now know what to do.

The digimon sat on a log, not really wanting to do anything, Gatomon played with her tail at a loss for something to do. Hawkmon fidgited with a feather on his arm that was somehow annoying him. Armadillomon just sat staring into space, whilst Veemon kicked at a stone that he was trying to visualise as a football.

"He could have at least acknowledged the rest of us where there." Veemon said as he looked up. "Azulogmon could have at least said hello."

"It was odd, that he only spoke to Jarret." Hawkmon replied, pulling the feather out and discarding it.

"What was even odder was that it was he who summoned a mega digimon to answer a question. I know I couldn't do that." Wormon's voice came from a pile of leaves, what he was doing in there no one seamed to know. Armadillomon looked over to the leaf pile and nodded,

"There's something goin' on here that we don't know about." Gatomon continued to flick the end of her tail, oblivious to the conversation going on around her.

"Gatomon?" Her ears pricked up as she heard her name being called, she came fully back to reality as an orange digimon landed next to her. Patamon who had been flying around the group in a circle until this point reached out with his paw and held Gatomons for a moment. "Gatomon, what's the matter, you seem very distant." She looked at him, his eyes full of concern - he could always tell when she needed to talk about something or needed some reassurance, just like TK always could with Kari.

"It's something Jarret said to me." The white cat-digimon whispered, "It was last night around the campfire when everyone else was asleep."

"What was it about?" Veemon interjected, glancing at Patamon's paw which still clung on to Gatomon's. Gatomon sighed, she saw Veemon's glance but decided this was not the time.

"It was about us, you must have noticed he's been rather protective of me since he arrived." Gatomon noted Veemon's shiver when she mentioned that, it hadn't been all that long since Jarret hurled him into a river, right after he had inadvertantly knocked her in. He seems so concerned and somewhat distant himself mostly, but when he's with me, I don't know, It's like there is some sort of bond. So I asked him."

"What did he say...Gatomon?" Patamon saw tears welling up in his friend's eyes, he instinctively put his wing around her shoulders, with only the token growl from Veemon as protest. "What did he say?"

* * *

"I can't tell you, Gatomon."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because what?"

"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO!"

Gatomon almost stepped backwards at the force of Jarret's reply, she couldn't see where all that pain and anger had come from and she wanted to know. She knew it was there and that he hid it well, but she could see it and when it was unleashed it was frightening to him and to her. Jarret looked down at his feet and so Gatomon glanced over at the sleeping digidestined, they hadn't been woken by Jarret's outburst. He meanwhile had sat down by the fire and held his head in his hands, Gatomon walked back over to Kari and snuggled against her.

"It was nine years ago."

"What was?" Gatomon said sleepily.

"When it happened." Jarret said, Gatomon opened her eyes,

"Tell me."

* * *

Jarret looked at Terrimon, who looked back at him - Terrimon's face was emotionless, then the music started. It was beautiful, so delicate and yet so meaningful, his uncles, aunts and his parents friends carried the wooden boxes in and delicately placed them on stands. The service began.

* * *

Gatomon cleared her throat and wiped her eyes, they wanted to know and Jarret had said the others would eventually find out. "It had all begun so wonderfully, It was his brother's birthday, there was a party in the afternoon. Jarret had arranged it as a surprise for his younger brother, who lapped up all the attention that the others could give him." Gatomon closed her eyes, it had all seemed so vivid when Jarret told her, but now she was having dificulty remembering the details.   


"The celebration became a double one after his digimon, a Salamon, questioned what a birthday was. Finding he had no birthday, Jarret's mum and dad decided that today would be a celebration of Salamon's birthday as well. Terrimon had looked up at Jarret, seemingly disgruntled that salamon could have a birthday and he could not. Jarret said they would share his birthday instead. It was decided that later on that day the family would go out for a meal. Terrimon stayed behind, Jarret said he'd mentioned something about 'a date' with another Terrimon, so it was just Jarret, his brother, his parents the Salamon and his...parents' d-digimon." Gatomon appeared to be stumbling over the words now, torn between getting it all out in the open and concentrating on the details.

"They were on a motorway and then the breaks failed..."

"What happened to them." Veemon asked.

"Jarret was in hospital for about two months, mostly in a coma, his parents both died on impact."

"What about the brother and the digimon." The voice was Ken's, Gatomon looked around to see that more or less everyone was awake and listening to her. TK and Kari were still asleep, drained after the recent events - perhaps Gatomon thought, for the best.

"Jarret's brother died about two weeks later of liver failure, his salamon died around the same time. The other digimon were badly hurt but survived."

Yolei clutched at Hawkmon hugging him to her, she was close to crying.

"So Jarret was orphaned..." Wormon managed to say. Gatomon nodded,

"There was only one thing that puzzled me, he mentioned something happening six years later."

* * *

Jarret blinked back the tears that threatened to blur his vision, he turned towards Gatomon.  
"I made a promise to protect both of the digimon, and I promised one of them I would protect the other above themselves. I failed that day."

"Who were they? What happened to you Jarret?" Gatomon walked over to Jarret and put her head on his knee. "What happened?"

"I..I.." Jarret mouth formed words yet there was no voice to speak them, it was about five minutes until he was able to barely whisper. "I...failed you."

"You failed me? What do you mean you failed me?" Jarret took no notice looking over towards an orange digimon, sleeping on top of a crinkled blanket.

"He never forgave me..."

When she had finished, the others looked from Gatomon, lost in their own personal thoughts, head down, silent.

* * *

_The coffins were ornate mahogany wood, on top of each was a D3, one was green, one was pink and one green and gold in colour. They were carried out towards the patch of land designated to them, buried under a large statuette of two angels, one female, one male holding between them an interlinked symbol. One was a shooting star with trail lines, which was made of pure gold, the other an eight-pointed star of pure silver. Jarret looked on, he reassuringly stroked the digimon in his arms, whilst the digimon perched on his shoulder wept silently._

* * *

_That means that...then they're...they can't be no...dead???? So the parents are revealed, will they find out that Jarret is their son. Where has Nemisomon gone? What is the truth behind what happened those six years later? Find out in the next chapters of Crest of The Heavens!!! But finally I just want to put forward a TAKARI theory, from now on to be known as "ArchangelUK's Takari Theory" - so no one steals it. Ok, here goes. "His Master's Voice" we assume by that it is the Scubamon's quote Dark Undersea Master unquote, I don't think so...I think that is a reference to Kari calling (in the Japanese version) to TK and the portal forming. Kari is TK's master (in a sort of twisted way) she calls him, he hears her, he follows more or less blindly. Anyway, that's a new take on it and I'd be interested in your ideas. Takari Forever. R+R!_

_AAUK 0:-)_

Kari's Angels - http://www.geocities.com/happy_hylian  
AAUK's Mini-Site (Including news on Clarity, Crest of The Heavens, etc) - http://www.geocities.com/happy_hylian/aauk/main.html


	5. Goggles Make Not A Man

**The Crest of The Heavens  
By ArchangelUK**

_I do not own the television program known as Digimon, however I do own a handfull of the new Euro notes - something I took great delight in burning._

Patamon: So Azulongmon appeared and talked with Jarret about what he is here to do, something he's being pretty vague about. We know a bit more about him now anyway, but only because he told Gatomon. What link the two of them have I don't know, I doubt Gatomon even does but I'm sure there's more than Jarret is letting on. Now all we have to do continue what we were doing, and that's get to the next section of forest, only problem is that there's a desert in the way - let's hope that's all there is...

**Chapter 5: Goggles Make Not A Man**

"On the day there is 13 a choice is made, a path is taken, and that path shall lead 13 to light and 1 to shadow."  
- The Prophecy of The Thirteenth DigiDestined

"Where did they come from?" Palmon squealed as the Mamothmon had appeared on the horizon, no-one knew but the Mamothmon were soon joined by a fleet of Seadramon.

"Why would a bunch of Seadramon and Mamothmon want to meet up?" mused Izzy, as he tapped rapidly on his laptop.  
"I don't know, but I bet they're not here to have a disco!" Tentomon said, the insect digimon subconsciously flying backwards a couple of metres away from the distant group. Jarret looked at the slowly approaching digimon herd and scowled, something wasn't quite right.

"Izzy's right this isn't normal, there's no reason why two such different types would want to meet up in such large numbers."

"Then why would they?" Kari asked, Jarret did not answer her but instead looked back towards the digimon who first spotted them.

"Hawkmon, you've the best sight amongst us, is there anymore you can see."

"I'm not sure." Replied the bird in typical English accent, "All I see are the Mamothmon and Seadramon coming this way." Jarret stared at the dust cloud moving towards them, squinting against the bright sunshine, they were still an awful distance away but still. Jarret walked over to where Tai stood,

"What are you thinking Jarret?"

"There's something wrong here..."

"I see something!" Hawkmon called, "Those digimon have some kind of symbol on their forehead, I can't really make it out. It looks sort of like a - "

" - A circle with a line dividing it in half?"

"Yes... right down the centre from top to bottom." Tai cast a glance towards the swirl of dust then back to Jarret,

"Bad news?"

"You think?"

"Nemisomon?"

"No, but his handiwork all the same." Jarret gestured to Izzy and he joined the small huddle, Davis made to join but was waved away by the three boys.

"Izzy, could either of those digimon herds have spotted us yet?"

"Well, according to my calculations the current velocity of the herds and the all the data I have at present, the simplest answer I can give is -"

"Just get to the point will you Izzy(!)" Tai said impatiently, "A simple yes or no is fine."

"Well, no... but they will in six point three five minutes at their present speed."

"We need to get out of here... now. They haven't spotted us yet and the last thing we need is a draining fight before we find Nemisomon." Jarret yelled as the three rejoined the group.

"But they're looking for us." Davis insisted,

"And they won't find us," Izzy explained, "We'll avoid them and they'll just go right on the way we came."

"Don't you want to fight them or something?"

"Not if we can help it." The boy genius continued.

"But they are evil right?" asked Veemon.

"Yes, but -" 

"They're evil, lets go get 'em!" Davis cheered.

"Yeah Davis, lets go!" Veemon encouraged

"Davis wait!"

"Digivolve Veemon!"

"Veemon digivolve too.... ExVeemon!" The typical blue light heralded the success of the digivolution,

"Er, excuse me?" Hawkmon said, "I hate to interrupt but there has been a change with the Mamothmon. They now appear to be charging, straight at us." Everyone looked at Davis and ExVeemon,

"Well done Davis!" Jarret said slapping him on the back, "You've successfully turned a situation where a potentially dangerous fight was easily avoidable into one where a potentially lethal fight is unavoidable. Nice one you."

"I didn't do..."

"Haven't you noticed that digimon when they digivolve produce a lot of light and noise?"

"Oh."

"Oh indeed."

"I didn't mean to -"

"- Just... save it Davis, okay?"

* * *

"Tusk Crusher!"

"Tail Hammer!"

"Nova Blast!"

"Vee Laser!"

"Meteor Wing!

"Ice Blast!"

"Blast Rings!"

"I wish we could DNA Digivolve still!" Grumbled Stingmon as he dodged a flying tusk missile, his partner Ken stood well back away from the fight with the others.

"We weren't supposed to need it anymore, besides I'm not losing my tail ring again for anyone." Angewomon replied in a typically Gatomon way, before launching an attack at a Seadramon that happened to annoy her.

"I never suggested it - Spiking Strike!"

"Good. Celestial Arrow!"

"Jarret can we destroy them?" Yolei asked, the young girl of sincerity and love tugging on his shoulder. The young man closed his eyes and concentrated, he could sense the digimon of the DigiDestined but that was all. He opened his eyes again, and ran a hand through his hair and his eyebrows raised as though in a shrug.

"Even if we spared them and then defeated Nemisomon, they would still after his death be servants of evil."

"There's nothing we can do for them?" Cody asked,

"If they still retain even a fraction of what passed for their individuality I certainly can't feel it."

"So what do we do?"

They ducked as a stray Ice Blast peppered the rocky ridge above them with lethally sharp icicles. TK covered his head as pebbles and debris rained down on him, he dived out of the way as a somewhat larger piece of rock and ice crashed downwards in the place he had been standing.

"We end their suffering." Was all Jarret said,

In the battle a trio of Seadramon launched attacks which smashed into Aquilamon, the proud bird crashed into the ground dedigivolving back to it's rookie form. The same happened to Stingmon, Kabuterimon and WereGarurumon, the DigiDestined bravely ran out into the melee to retrieve their partners.

"Okay guys!" Tai yelled, "No-holds barred, lets step it up a gear!"

"You got it Tai. Greymon Warp Digivolve to..... WarGreymon!"

"Angemon digivolve too.... MagnaAngemon!"

"ExVeemon digivolve to.... oh... damn, I forgot I can't..."

And so the digimon pulled out all the stops, released from the burden of knowing they faced digimon who lived and soon the tide of battle turned.

"Vulcan's Hammer!"

"Terra Force!"

"Gate of Destiny!"

The great gate materialised behind the two herds and the digimon of the DigiDestined forced them back into it. With half their number destroyed or already consigned to the gate a combined attack from a dark Seadramon and Mamothmon managed to floor Angewomon. Gatomon fell down onto the sand with a grunt, Kari cried out in alarm and ran out to the cat-digimon, somehow avoiding the grasp of TK, Jarret, Davis and Tai.

As Kari got to her digimon one of the last Mamothmon, before being sent through the gate cried out "Tusk Crusher!" and sent a tusk spiralling outwards before tumbling into the white abyss. The tusk streaked through the sky, and it soon became apparent it was on a direct course for one of them.

"Kari!" TK yelled and began running desperately towards her, a race against a ballistic missile he knew he wouldn't win. She looked up at his call but it was too late to move now, too late to get out of the way. She shrieked, closing her eyes and clutching Gatomon waiting for the sharp ivory to pierce her body, waiting for the burst of pain which signalled her death.

But it didn't come.

Kari opened her eyes, the point of the tusk was barely an inch away from the bridge of her nose, suspended in mid-air by a stream of gold light. Her eyes darted left to see Jarret arm upstretched, palm emitting whatever it was that was keeping the tusk from movement, she gawped at him and his eyes locked with hers.

"Move!" Jarret ordered and slowly Kari's limbs obeyed her brain and she dived out of the way, quickly dragged up and away with Gatomon by TK. The tusk began to move forward again, it was still on a path that took it into the crowd of chosen children; with obvious effort Jarret thrust his hand forward and the tusk rotated 180 degrees. The beam stopped and the tusk propelled itself away from the DigiDestined embedding itself in the sand some 200 yards from the Gate of Destiny.

Jarret fell to the floor clutching his side, it felt as though he had a big stitch combined with pins and needles in his heart. The others made their way over to him, though he shrugged off all help save for Tai and Izzy. He glared daggers at Davis, and if looks could kill Davis would have been wiped from the face of history... rather ironic considering the circumstances. For a moment, and only a moment it was, his vision seemed to blur, Jarret fell from the two boys clutches... or rather fell through their clutches. Jarret looked at his hand in amazement as it seemed to flicker and fade before returning to normal, he grimaced at Izzy who stood with Tai, mouth agape.

"What... the..."

"....hell?" Izzy finished Tai's protracted sentence.

"Something almost happened that almost changed the timeline, that combined with the fact I had to use some of my energy meant I sort of faded out there for a second."

"Faded out?" Joe spluttered, "You fell THROUGH Izzy and Tai."

"Yeah... heh he, sorry about that."

"Well, everything worked out okay." Davis said, picking up Veemon and twirling him in the air, "We did it!"

"No thanks to you." Jarret mumbled, loud enough for Davis to actually hear.

"What do you mean by that? Me an Veemon were kicking ass back there!"

"Ass which didn't _need_ kicking - and because of your recklessness Kari almost got killed."

"I'm fine Jarret." Kari said turning to TK "Really I am." She whispered to her friend, he nodded grimly so she angled her head inquisitively in reply, her eyes intense. TK after a moment seemed to accept that she was telling the truth and finally let go of her.

"See! See! She's fine, what's the big problem?" Davis jumped up and down pointing at Kari. His head snapped back when he saw TK let go of Kari, "HEY WHAT WERE YOU DOING WITH MY GIRL TQ?!?!" He made to leap at the DigiDestined of Hope but was met instead by a veritable verbal broadside...

"DAVIS YOU INSIPID RODENT, WHY CAN'T YOU GET IT INTO YOUR MINUSCULE EXCUSE FOR A CRANIUM THAT THE WORLD - DIGITAL OR OTHER WISE - DOES NOT EVOLVE AROUND YOU, YOU SEPTIC PUSS FILLED LITTLE WORM!" Jarret screamed at the top of his lungs, Davis sweatdropped and backed away nervously.

"You don't deserve to be the leader, you don't have a clue what the Digital World is about! How can you be the great hero you must when you're a complete IDIOT???" Jarret, crimson faced and eyes bulging spun on his heel and marched off in the direction the Mamothmon and Seadramon had come from, Hawkmon had said there was an Oasis around there somewhere and he needed a drink.

"Well." Joe said, picking up Gomamon, "At least he didn't throw you in a river..."

* * *

Nemisomon rapped his long thin claws on the screen in front of him, a report was coming in from one of his scouts. The scout had been sent to give him a full report of what happened to the patrol of digimon he had sent out to destroy those miserable children. He stared at the printout, his eyes a mixture of fury and exhilaration, all the digimon he had sent out had been destroyed and his primary targets had eluded destruction. No matter, there were thousands more digimon where those had come from, however there was still a silver lining in his cloud of failure. Jarret had been forced to use his powers, he was weakening it would soon be time to strike the final blow.

He gestured at the possessed Bakemon who hurried off, only to arrive back seconds later with a steaming shank of meat. It smelt wondrous, so he ripped into it with his double rows of teeth, and contemplated his next move. Next move.... the thought brought back a long forgotten memory, something that surprised him greatly, he dismissed the Bakemon with a wave of his clawed hand. The Bakemon bowed and made a hastily retreat outside, taking the bone filled dish which had once contained the meat back with him.

So long ago, it surprised him it really did...

* * *

"Why don't you like Davis?"

The question came suddenly, startling Jarret from his contemplation on a rocky outcrop. Infront of him were Biyomon and Palmon, Agumon and Tai stood behind the pair, the question had come from Biyomon. "I don't dislike Davis." Jarret reassured, "It's just that he doesn't realise what it is to be the DigiDestined leader - he still thinks it's a game..."

Jarret paused eying the group of chosen children some two hundred metres away. Davis and TK were fighting again, or rather Davis had launched himself at TK again but the boy of hope had merely side-stepped the lunge and Davis had ended up headbutting the mud. Jarret let a half smile cross his lips when Veemon tried to help his partner up and ended up falling into the mud also.

"...And it's not." He finished, taking his eyes away from the scene, Palmon sighed a deep sigh, Biyomon joined her in it.

"He means well." Tai insisted, "He wouldn't consciously put Kari in harms way, he'd have me to deal with that's if I got to him before TK ever did."

"Oh I know he means well Tai, he's just too recklace though. He'll make mistakes."

"Everyone makes mistakes though." Agumon interrupted,

"I've seen it happen with others like him and eventually they make that one mistake. The mistake that costs them it all."

"You seem to know about this well."

"Agumon, as I've said I've seen it happen."

"You were the DigiDestined leader of your time weren't you?" Tai suddenly realised, Jarret nodded in reply.

"Yes, for a while."

"But, that must mean that you held the Crest of Courage though." Jarret actually laughed at that, Tai looked at him annoyed, the gold clad youth held up a hand in apology.

"I'm sorry Tai, but it's just... having the Crest of Courage, or the DigiMental of Courage doesn't make you DigiDestined leader. Wearing goggles, having brown hair or even being a natural leader doesn't make you DigiDestined leader. Fate makes you DigiDestined leader, the DigiWorld makes you DigiDestined leader... and sometimes even the harmonious ones make mistakes."

"Oh come on now! Davis being made leader after me wasn't a mistake!"

* * *

_"No." Angemon cried against the powerful wind, "Terrimon isn't ready to digivolve yet, he couldn't take that amount of power."  
_

_"Yes I can." The little digimon squeaked,  
_

_"Good enough for me.." Jarret said,  
_

_"No Jarret don't!" Gatomon pleaded,  
_

_"..Digivolve!"  
_

_"Terrimon Digivolve too..."_

"Who said anything about Davis?" Jarret said after a while... and then, he promptly disappeared.

* * *

_Disappears? Yep, he said that and vanished into thin air - lousy ending I know, guess you'll just have to find out where in the next chapter. _

_AAUK 0:-)_

_PS - Look out for "Reality Redux" a new gestalt fic by myself and Digicowboy!_


	6. Dark Moves

**The Crest of The Heavens  
By ArchangelUK**

_I do not own Digimon, if I did I would be very rich, would have had Takari and I'd have kept the characters from 01/02... but I don't own Digimon so none of those things occured._

_Damnit..._

Mimi: Just when things had begun to calm down again Davis went and made a silly mistake that alerted a group of possessed Mamothmon where we were and we ended up fighting again. At first we held back thinking they were just under Nemisomon's control, byt it turned out that he had permanently corrupted their data! Jarret said the only thing to do was to stop their suffering so everyone stepped it up a gear, eventually we won with MagnaAngemon sucking the majority of them into a Gate of Destiny. But this was not before one of the Mamothmon launched it's Tusk Crusher attack at Kari. Jarret saved her using his powers and he blamed Davis for putting Kari in danger, saving her must have taken something out of him though as he began to fade and actually fell through Izzy and Tai! He came back only to disappear completely a little while later - oh why do the cute ones always vanish on me?

**Chapter 6: Dark Moves**

_"On the day there is 13 a choice is made, a path is taken, and that path shall lead 13 to light and 1 to shadow."_  
- The Prophecy of The Thirteenth DigiDestined

Twenty-four pairs of eyes fixed themselves on the spot where future digidestined and new ally Jarret had been only a fraction of a second ago.

"What happened Izzy?"

"I don't know, Tai. He just vanished." Izzy pulled out his digivice and hooked it up to his old pinapple laptop, "It wasn't like the last time he didn't even expect it, like he was taken or something so he must still be in the digital world. I'll begin a search to look for his digivice, hopefully I'll at least get a partial signature."

The keeper of knowledge tapped away at the keys, all sorts of data coming up and rapidly disappearing from the monitor. Maps, bearings, ratios, formulae came and went Izzy was pulling out every last digital trick he could think of to locate him.

"You don't think something changed the timeline do you?" TK asked worriedly, as Izzy's search finally heralded it's results. The words 'No results found' emblazoned on the screen, Izzy chewed his lip thoughfully.

"No. He didn't fade like the last time, Jarret seemed to know there was something coming then. This time it was like something just, well, took him."

* * *

Jarret looked around him, this room, this reality was more or less featureless he looked down almost casually at his D3 and grimiced, there were no other digidestined here - just him.

Although the reality was dark it suddenly seemed to get even darker, as it faded away into a dark sky. Solid walls replaced by menacing black thunderclouds, a light wind picked up and whistled through his hair blowing it into his eyes and causing no end of irritation.

_Silent isn't it?_ A voice spoke inside his mind, Jarret closed his eyes, he knew who the voice belonged to.  
_Until then at any rate_. He answered,  
_You don't seem to realise when it is neccessary to give up, to lose hope, to...  
To give in to you?  
Exactly.  
To give in to you would be to forfeit my existence and to condemn those I care for to infinite darkness and despair.  
I assume that's a no then...  
Where are my friends?  
Safe, for the moment, but not much longer. Their fate is in our hands now._

As this was said, Nemesomon showed himself, he floated about two meters away from Jarret and eyed him with avid intensity. 

_What do you mean our hands?  
This, Jarret._

A chess board suddenly matterialised between them, it was large, about a metre square, although it a normal board the squares were black and yellow as opposed to black and white. Nemesomon waved a hand and the pieces appeared on the table, each black square now was engraved with the symbol on Nemesomon's belt, every yellow square with the crest of the heavens. The pieces were not normal, being replaced by appropriate people. There were now eight Patamon pawns, two Nefertimon rooks, two Pegasusmon knights, two Gatomon bishops and most disturbing of all a Queen Kari and a King T.K. Shadow versions of digidestined and their digimon were the black pieces.

The sky to Jarret's right changed into a view of the digital world and followed an overhead view of TK and Kari, who appeared to be searching for Jarret.Nemesomon smiled, _Shall we play a game?_

* * *

"I don't know where he could be Kari."

"Well we'll just have to keep looking."

Kari stumbled over a root, but kept her composure. Kari noticed TK had shot out his arm in readiness to catch her, despite the fact is wasn't neccessary she nodded her thanks at him. TK blushed slightly but Kari didn't notice, they had been searching for at least two hours and had not seen any sign of the mysterious Jarret anywhere. Cody had just e-mailed them saying that he and Yolei hadn't had any luck either, whilst Ken and Davis where still searching some rock formations with Stingmon and Exveemon giving "air support" as Davis called it. TK noticed how Davis had actually managed to spell 'air' as 'eire'. He chuckled to himself as he showed Kari,

"Davis is really trying, he's got the whole of Ireland searching for him!" Kari tried to look disapprovingly at him but couldn't keep a straight face, she giggled despite the poor attempt at humour, breaking the gloomy mood she had been in.

"TK..."

"I'm sorry, bad joke, well it made you laugh anyway so it was worth it."

"Angemon and Angewomon should be back soon, we'd best wait for them and decide what to do next."

* * *

_You are white, you get to go first.  
Why are you doing this Nemisomon?_  
_Because this way is much more fun, and dear Jarret, don't you remember the last game we played._

Jarret thought back to that game,

"OK Terrimon, Knight to K4."  
"Hmmm." Terrimon murmered, and reached up with his left ear to scratch his head. "Good move, I'm in trouble Jarry."  
"You play well Terrimon, someday I might even beat you."  
"Jarry, I doubt that very much."

_That game ended in stalemate if you remember.  
I could have won.  
But you didn't...Jarry.  
Don't call me Jarry! My name is Jarret.  
Well, whatever you prefer to be called, I call a rematch._

Nemisomon looked across at the image of TK and Kari walking through the forest, Angemon and Angewomon had returned and dedigivolved into Gatomon and Patamon. Nemisomon smiled,  
_So it begins._

* * *

TK hurled himself to his right grabbing Kari and spinning her to the ground, the projectile hit the rock behind them causing it to explode into hundreds of fragments. "What was that?" TK yelled

"I don't know," Gatomon replied as a fleet of red eyes appeared, "But this isn't good." The shapes grew and became clearer as they stepped out of the forest, TK helped Kari to her feet.

"Are you ok?" He whispered to her,

"Yeah, thanks TK." Kari brushed herself down and gave TK a half smile, she then noticed Gatomon and Patamon looking away from both of them eyes and wide as possible and mouths open in surprise.

"Gatomon what..." She trailed off when she saw what they had seen,

"What's wrong?" said TK.

"Er, TK?" Patamon said, "You might want to see this." TK looked over his shoulder to see four figures standing there. They were undoubtably himself, Kari and their digimon. They were definately not identical...

"Well, well, well." The girl stepped forward, she looked like Kari save for jet black hair and a grey top, her voice had an icy tinge to it. The real Kari took a step back in surprise, TK just stared at his duplicate, the hat was replaced by a black band and his eyes were a steely grey.

"Who are you?" Gatomon demanded.

"Us?" Her Doppelganger purred, "We're you, only slightly more...hmm, how shall I put this?" She turned to the Dark Patamon who gave a hollow laugh, 

"We're you, only better."

"Wanna bet?" Patamon growled, taking a pace towards the grey batpig.

"Oh, we do." TK#2 said, "Infact we bet your lives on it!"

* * *

Nemisomon moved one of his pawns forward to mirror the move Jarret made, next Jarret used the gap to allow his bishop onto the board, he delicately placed the carved Gatomon figurine on it's square. The 'image' next to them showed the scene being played out in what appeared to be super-slow motion. Both Patamons were eye to eye, while Gatomon had begun to spring forward, with a flourish Nemisomon brought out a Pegasusmon knight.

The grey Patamon sneered at his orange counterpart, and the evil TK simply commanded. "Digiarmour energise!" The grey Patamon disappeared in a flash of light, being replaced by a large winged horse with eyes blazing with hatred, the dimly coloured Pegasusmon kicked Patamon back to TK. TK cried out and went to his friends aid, and back on the chessboard, Nemisomon took the first pawn.

"Patamon!"

"TK..."

"Come on Patamon, lets go...Digiarmour energise!" TK held the digivice in the air but nothing happened.

"It's not working." Kari wailed.

"Try and digivolve Patamon."

"I tried Digivolving to Angemon, but I couldn't. I tried using my boom bubble attack too, but it just wouldn't form, something's holding me back."

"Er, guys?" The two males looked around at Gatomon, who was frozen in mid-lunge. "I can't move." The Dark quartet laughed, the shadow Kari looked down at her evil partner. "Go and destroy them Gatomon!" The evil cat went to move but she too found she was unable.

"What the? The master - what is he doing, why won't he let me destroy them." She hissed. Instead the Pegasusmon dedigivolved to Patamon and disappeared, reappearing opposite the real Kari. Who ran forward and grabbed him, despite it's protestations it soon found itself airborne hitting Kari's duplicate squarely on the nose. TK blinked in surprise as Kari looked around in confusion,

"Did I just do that?" She asked, mortified at her actions.

_And Jarret took one of Nemisomon's pawns with his queen._

The match continued with much digivolving, periods of standing like statues and sudden teleportations. Back in the sub-dimension Jarret rubbed his temples, he had removed a fair share of Nemisomon's pieces. These included both knights, one of the bishops, one rook and about half the Patamon pawns. Nemisomon however had removed about the same number, except both of Jarret's rooks had been taken, and he still had one knight.

"Check." Nemisomon grinned, Jarret instantly took the offending piece with his remaining bishop. The real Gatomon dealt a lightning paw to the grey Patamon and he was deleted, though he reappeared immediately by the counterpart TK.

_Good move Jarret, but a warning.  
A warning?  
Be wary of your moves, for I have already taken the digivolutions of your...cat. One more wrong move and she's out of the game. Forever._

Jarret's eyes widened and he realised what he'd let himself in for, he was playing a game of chess with the lives of hope and light.

_Oh no...  
Yes, I'm surprised you didn't realise earlier. Of course, it wouldn't have been much fun if I told you at the beginning._

Jarret looked down at the pieces and realise he was in a vulnerable position, he had to go on the offensive and remove Nemisomon's queen, it above all was doing the most damage. Jarret began to shake with fear, causing a smile to creep over Nemisomon's face. The match was as good as won.

Jarret got up from the board and rubbed his eyes, _I can't do it..._ His mind cried to him, the subconcious voice shot through with panic. _I can't win and keep them all from destruction. I can't protect them...._

Protect them....

A memory sparked in the back of Jarret's mind, long before the previous one, when his dad was first trying to teach him.

Protect them....

"But Dad, it's impossible - how am I supposed to protect them from here?"  
"You're so impatient Jarret, that's not the purpose of the game."  
"But if you lose your pieces then you are at a disadvantage."  
"Not if you plan ahead, the aim is to win - not to win without loss. Don't think too little and don't think too much, trust your instincts."  
"Ok, what do I do."  
"Sacrifice your Queen."

_Sacrifice my Queen... _Jarret tentaively picked up the Kari shaped chessman and placed it on the square, knowing full well the move Nemisomon would make.

And Nemisomon took Jarret's queen.

* * *

_This is SOS call to all UK Digimon Fans, you might have noticed that the backstabbing entity called 'CITV' has once again decided to can Digimon 02. This time replacing it (with only 7 episodes to go) with Digimon Tamers, it was bad enough when they dropped it for Cardcaptors. Myself and Digicowboy have quite frankly had ENOUGH of CITV doing this, it also did it with Reboot (and Spellbinder for those who remember that one), we are starting a campaign to return 02 to the airwaves and get a decent regular repeat showing of 01._

_Go to Http://www.geocities.com/happy_hylian/fury_page for details on how to join D.A.T.I.C (Digifanatics Againsts The Injustice of CITV) or contact us at archangeluk@hotmail.com or Digicowboy : happy_hylian@hotmail.com_

_AAUK 0:-)_


	7. The Takashi Manoeuvre

**The Crest of The Heavens  
By ArchangelUK**

_I do not own Digimon, however I do own the story name and chapter titles of a certain Kiwi authouress's fanfiction story, whose title may or may not rhyme with 'Leftiny Refinished'._

_Isn't that right 'Rolfee' ?_

TK: We all went off in groups to try and find Jarret and as usual I paired up with Kari - not that I'm complaining! We searched around for a while and had found nothing until something attacked us. When we looked up we found ourselves looking at dark versions of myself, Kari, Patamon and Gatomon, we tried to fight them, but it seems like someone else is controlling our movements. What on Earth is going on?

**Chapter 7: The Takashi Manoeuvre**

_"On the day there is 13 a choice is made, a path is taken, and that path shall lead 13 to light and 1 to shadow."_  
- The Prophecy of The Thirteenth DigiDestined

The grey coloured Patamon glowered at his counterpart, then over at Kari who was right next to him more or less. He began to fill his lungs with air, more than the real Patamon would ever dare do without risking serious injury. The grey Patamon caught his orange mirror image's eye for a second and the digimon suddenly realised what was going to happen.

"Boom Bubble!"

He made to yell at Kari to move, get out of the way, for TK, Gatomon or indeed himself to do something - anything. They and he could do so little, for it was already too late. The pressure, the force, was far to great for a human to take and survive at that distance and as it hit Kari square in the chest Patamon could tell it was fatal. He could only gape in disbelief as his friend, his ally, his partner's love, flew backwards into the dirt. Dead before she fully hit the ground.

* * *

Nemisomon made his move, Jarret closed his eyes as Nemisomon closed what passed for his fingers around the piece and removed the white queen from the board. The keeper of the Crest of the Heavens could not watch as the image next to him slowly played out Kari's final moments, he heard her scream, TK's cry of anguish and pain, Gatomon's disbelief as her world came tumbling down around her. In the midst of it all poor Patamon unable to believe what he had seen, unable to comprehend it all in his innocence.

_Foolish boy._ The dark ultimate level digimon scolded, chuckling away at some joke or hidden meaning only he himself could find funny.

_Foolish?_

_You will die._ Nemisomon folded his arms and leaned back away from the table, Jarret did the same leaning back so that the chair he was sitting on had only the two back legs still on the 'floor'. The youth yawned infuriating the digimon with his apparent lack of empathy in what could and should be only described as a torturous emotional ordeal for him. Jarret, in response to this yawned a second time, pushing himself back forwards so he was once again sitting upright.

_We all die in time, but I won't die just yet. You think by killing off Kari in this game of yours, this game of life, this... checked board of death that I will simply vanish?_

_But you will, do you not feel it?_

Jarret did feel it, the pull of existence. Time was attempting to erase him, to unceremoniously dump him out of all memory... forever. Jarret could not oppose such a force at least directly, even a DigiDestined no matter from which era is still only human. A bit-part puppet in an inter-dimensional show, a fraying stitch in a vast unending tapestry - those cosmic laws could not be denied. But then he wasn't trying to, something else was struggling for him.

_Of course I do, there's just one thing though._

_And what would that be 'Jarry'?_

_You're so wrapped up in your own little battle of vengeance and power you don't read between the lines of where you are. You make the rules, you break the rules, but you never read the rules. This place you've created, this place where we are now is outside the normal timeline thus I will still exist until the end of the game._

_But win or lose you will die._

_Then why am I smiling Nemisomon? _And Jarret took the dark queen with his remaining bishop, the white wooden effigy of Gatomon stood proudly and unopposed on the board. Jarret leaned down so he was eye-level with his pieces, there was a straight unchallenged line to the black TK.

_Check, I believe..._

Nemisomon growled in anger and got up from the chair, suddenly from out of the clouds came a solitary Andromon.

"Master?"

_What?_

"You are needed in your throne room, it's a matter of great delicacy." It said, not trying to sound too scared, or indeed too brave either. Nemisomon growled and disappeared, leaving a bemused Jarret alone with the board. He looked at the still-frame image and the even stiller form of Kari on the ground, he tore his eyes away from her and still tried to concentrate on TK. He needed to reassure him, no matter what the cost he could still even with this immobility do something impetuous. The boy was crying, trying to reach his friend, Gatomon had just attacked the shadow Kari, it was slower to change now that Nemisomon had left.

* * *

Gatomon stood wide eyed and shaking, her arm outstretched, paw buried in the thin air which the Kari replica had occupied merely a split second ago. She retracted the arm staring at the red smudge on her glove and claws, and tried to move back to her Kari but that force prevented her from doing so. Her gaze shifted to the crumpled form of the shadow Kari who began to dissolve into data, her dark counterpart did not seem phased by the death.

Patamon tried to reach the grief ridden cat, but as with his previous attempts at trying to reach TK he couldn't budge an inch. TK didn't know what to do, where he was or what was happening anymore and quite frankly he didn't care. All his thoughts were focused around Kari, she was gone and there was nothing that could be done about it - he had broken his promise.

_TK..._

"Who said that?"

"Who said what?" TK's double challenged.

_TK, it's Jarret. Listen carefully, Nemisomon has taken me to some sort of parallel dimension, all that is going on with you is being controlled by us._

Jarret felt TK's sudden anger rush, and winced.

"This is your fault then! You got Kari killed! MURDERER!"

Gatomon looked at TK, getting more and more distressed she couldn't stand upright anymore.

_TK PLEASE. She isn't dead yet, if she was I wouldn't be able to talk to you, now trust me I don't have much time. For Nemisomon's perverted enjoyment he has chosen that we play some kind of sick chess game, if I win you we live, If I lose we die, I have no choice in this. I cannot defeat him on my own, he knows this, but he cannot defeat me either. You have to trust me TK, I know what I'm doing, I know how to beat him._

_What are you going to do?_

_Something you taught me. _Jarret's voice said almost with a decernable hint of mischief in it.

"Something I?" But Jarret was gone, Nemisomon had returned.

* * *

_Are you still smiling Jarret? _Nemisomon pretended he wasn't concerned by the wide grin Jarret was wearing and faked his lack of interest well. He sat back down in his seat, muttering insults at the Andromon who had disturbed him. Of all the things to disturb him about, why did they have to pick this of all times for something so trivial... Nemisomon waved a hand in apology, looking up to see if anything a bigger smile on the future youth's dusty face.

_Looks like it doesn't it. _Nemisomon moved his remaining rook, Jarret instantly took it with his bishop, his fingers lingering for a minute on it's top so the digimon could realise what piece it was.

_Gatomon strikes again eh?_

Nemisomon responded by moving out his own bishop to try and get in a position whereby he could take the offending piece. Jarret simply avoided the move, the play suddenly turned into a ferocious game of cat and mouse. Ironic seeming both participants were of the feline persuasion, the image showed both Gatomons leaping around the screen the pace was only matched in fury by that of Nemisomon.

_Your cat cannot hold out forever, you will make a mistake and it will be forever out of my sight._

_Tut tut, jealousy, jealousy._

Jarret moved his knight, Nemisomon the bishop again, Jarret his bishop, Nemisomon's pawn, Jarret's pawn, Nemisomon's bishop... Jarret slammed something down onto the board with such force it shook the pieces, knocking down Nemisomon's bishop in the process. Jarret's hand still covered the piece...

* * *

The rapid movement had ceased, all six remaining figures gasped taking large amounts of oxygen. Everyone looked around trying to get a fix on where the rest where, it was all very disorientating for them. From behind the shadow versions of Gatomon and Patamon came an intense golden light. 

Jarret lifted his hand, there underneath it was a Patamon pawn, not so significant a move until you realised that this pawn was sat on the eighth and final row. The row nearest to Nemisomon.

_You see, I always knew how I would beat you in this game of yours Nemisomon. You are so headstrong, so brazenly caught up in your own little quest for vengeance over Gatomon that I was able to sneak this pawn in underneath your very nose._

Jarret reached over and plucked a piece from the small oak box at the side of the board, replacing, upgrading the pawn to a most different piece altogether.

The golden light was coming from Patamon, he slowly changed shape and the light changed colour from the rich yellow to a bright pink. Patamon reappeared by TK's side and watched on as the light receded leaving in his place a brown haired, ruby red eyed girl just coming into her teens.

"Impossible." Both TK's said in unison, and looked over at the space where Kari's body had been. It wasn't there anymore, Kari stood level with the Dark TK and looked over at him when their eyes connected she began to glow again. Jarret looked down at his chessmen as did the confused Nemisomon; Kari, TK and Jarret as one said the same word which reverberated through the valley and through the dimension Jarret was imprisoned in.

"Checkmate."

Kari began to glow again, and as the pink radiance expanded it touched the dark versions of TK, Gatomon and Patamon and they began to disappear. Erased by the brightness and wholesomeness of the light, when it again disappeared only TK, Kari and the their partners remained in the clearing.

* * *

_Continuing very very soon... Lots and lots of R&R please!  
  
ArchangelUK 0:-)  
_

_Kari's Angels: http://www.geocities.com/happy_hylian  
P.S I know full well Wolfie gave me lots of credit on her story and I'm not complaining... just teasing a little. 0;-)_


	8. Better Days

**The Crest of The Heavens  
By ArchangelUK**

_I do not own Digimon, however I do own half a pound of tuppany rice and half a pound of treacle which I intend to use to develop explosive compounds..._

_Grrr! Come 'ere weasel!  
_

Jarret: Nemisomon had taken me to some sort of sub-reality and then made me play a sick chess game, the catch being it was with the lives of TK, Kari, Patamon and Gatomon. Even the pieces bore resemabalance to them and all our actions impacted upon their movements. Eventually to win I had to sacrifice my queen - Kari - and though she was killed by the dark Patamon I managed to bring her back by getting one of my pawns all the way to the other side of the board! The game might well be over, but I doubt Nemisomon is going to give up anytime soon...

**Chapter 8: Better Days**

_"On the day there is 13 a choice is made, a path is taken, and that path shall lead 13 to light and 1 to shadow."_  
- The Prophecy of The Thirteenth DigiDestined

"Checkmate." Jarret said, his voice joining that of TK and Kari

Nemisomon roared with anger as the image changed to show the pink light spreading outwards towards the shadow DigiDestined, most specifically the Dark TK. As the light touched them they seemed to scream in pain, and when the light disappeared only the two digimon and humans remained in the clearing.

* * *

"Kari!" TK cried and ran towards her, Kari held her hand to her forehead and moved very unsteadily a few paces forward. She began to faint as TK reached her and collapsed into his waiting arms, Gatomon leapt over TK's head and into her lap.

"Kari! Are you okay?" Her partner asked worriedly, Kari a little worse for wear managed to smile.

"I'm fine. She whispered, TK held her tighter as Gatomon hugged her too.

"I-I-I thought..I'd...lo-lost you!" She bawled, crying into Kari's T-shirt. TK wiped a couple of his own tears away and kissed Kari gently on the forehead.

"Don't ever scare me like that again."

"I promise."

* * *

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Yes Nemisomon, ohhhh yes!" Jarret taunted, "I win. You lose."

"NO! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS BOY!"

"I bet I will... but not today!" Jarret jumped upwards and away from Nemisomon, he began to accelerate disappearing into the clouds behind him as his hair whipped into his eyes. Faster and faster he flew backwards away from the board and the digimon then as the clouds seemed to be at their thickest - sunshine. Blue sky too, Jarret could see birds and trees and... the ground. He fell from his position, hovering horizontally at 5 ft in the air and fell right on top of TK and Kari.

There was a trio of "Ow!"s.

"Well, that was a novel experience." Jarret eventually said, examining himself to see if all his body parts were in the place they used to be.

* * *

"The days seem to get better." Joe said, rubbing his shin as a purple bruise began to appear eliciting a wince from the blue haired boy. 

"Yeah better days..." Matt brushed a stray lock of hair back into position. It had been a full seven days since the events involving Kari, Jarret, TK, Gatomon and Patamon. Seven days since Jarret rematerialised and landed on top of the two DigiDestined, Jarret still walked with a slight limp from the fall.

Things were going well, as well as could be expected under the circumstances. Jarret had at least defeated Nemisomon - for the time being anyway, and the DigiDestined were all now learning to gel with this new addition. There was but one problem, Gatomon was not feeling all that good, the digimon was still coming to terms with 'destroying Kari'. Of course this particular Kari had been a shadow version, who wasn't real anyway.

"She was real enough!" Not that Gatomon believed this.

"She wasn't though, look." Jarret held Gatomon's paw in front of her face and slowly rotated her arm so she could see all the way around the glove and claws.

"No blood Gatomon, not one single stain. Not one single cell. Nothing."

"But I..."

"What you did, you had no control over anyway. Technically it was my fault." Jarret shrugged, a look of anger and confusion swept over Gatomon's face. "Hey, the blood is gone. That's because it wasn't real, that Kari was not real, she was a fake. A fraud, your Kari is sitting over there." He pointed to Kari who was in deep conversation with Matt about something or the other. Patamon landed on Jarret's shoulder, Gatomon though her trauma thought this to be quite odd. Patamon rarely strayed from TK's head or hands, in fact the only other person she had seen with Patamon 'on them' was Kari. _Odd._

Jarret took a couple of paces away from her and sighed, "How's she doing?" Patamon asked Jarret quietly,

"Not so good, can you stay with her for a while?"

"Always for her." Patamon said, then blushed at his own statement. Jarret looked sad for a moment then smiled forlornly, Patamon leapt off and landed beside her.

Jarret closed his eyes, _Better Days..._

_Brighter Days, you know the sort,  
When sunbeams dance and then cavort,  
In the opposite of solitude,  
The opposite of rough or crude,  
Better Days are all in doubt._

Another day passed.

Gatomon still sat looking at her paw, though not as intently as she had before and she had lost her haunted look and frightened eyes. Patamon and Veemon to their credit were taking turns to get her to come out of he shell. Veemon was being funny, then Patamon his charming, caring self, then Veemon was silly, then Patamon all serious to the point of yelling at Gatomon to - 

"Snap the hell out of it!"

The fire burned brightly but none the less the illumination it did provide in this, the darkest of all dark caves was lessening by the second. Strong gusting winds that lashed through the stalagmites and stalactites reached out with cold fingers to snuff out the flame but so far the waves of air had failed.

So too it seemed had Nemisomon, it had been three and a half days since Tai and Mimi had combined efforts to thwart a group of Dark Monochromon that happened to the in the area. Since then they had all been recuperating, Agumon especially as he had been subject to the most physical punishment. The dripping noise of water did not do justice to the fact that the caves were decidedly cold and the group shuddered collectively as another icy blast of wind shot through their temporary shelter.

"We'll have to get a move on soon." Tai said hugging his sister from behind, rubbing her shoulders to keep Kari warm. The girl in pink smiled and leant backwards into her brother, casting her rich ruby eyes upwards to meet her siblings brown ones.

"We know, it's just that - some of us needed a little time to get over what happened." She gestured with her head towards her partner who was still very much glassy eyed, although she had now dropped the paw. Propped up on a rock between Patamon and Veemon she stared out into space, oblivious to the conversation around her. Jarret had returned from a brief scouting mission with TK and Yolei.

"Any news?" Sora asked, looking towards the trio. Their faces were disturbingly grim and they glanced around at each other before turning back to face the others.

"Yes." Yolei finally answered, "And none of it good."

"We found a monochromon, probably from the same bunch that Tai and Mimi dealt with the other day. It had managed to escape before Nemisomon did... whatever it was he did to the others that turned them dark." TK sat down by Tai and squeezed Kari's hand, she smiled and he smiled back. Jarret took up the story.

"The digimon was weak from travel and hadn't eaten much, nevertheless it gave us some information. We now know where Nemisomon is, and more to the point that he is in the middle of constructing a large building."

"A building?" Izzy asked looking up from his computer.

"A dome to be precise, a large black dome." Yolei perched herself between Ken and Cody, ruffling the younger chosen child's hair in the process. He fastidiously pushed it back down again.

"A black dome? What's it for?" He asked.

"We don't know yet, but it's probably to do with enslaving more digimon." Ken shuddered at the statement, Yolei looked at him concerned.

"I'm okay. Bad memories." He whispered, Yolei nodded in understanding so did Jarret although how he had heard the whisper from his position on the other side of the cave neither Yolei or Ken could understand.

The fire went out and everything went dark, Izzy jumped up in surprise hitting his head on the rocks above him.

"Ow. Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah," Davis answered, "I'm gonna try and relight that fire, unless Agumon's recovered enough to try a pepper breath?"

"If you give me a couple of minutes." The little digimon wheezed, unseen in the darkness the black haired keeper of knowledge and friendship nodded. Two eyes shone out in the darkness, Jarret peered over towards them.

"You okay Gatomon?"

"Yeah, I am now."

"Your not, you know - panicing?"

"Why would I? I'm a cat, I'm used to the dark and I'm perfectly at home in it."

"Oh, it's just that, well, I thought you were... um... afraid of the dark."

"What?"

"Oh... nevermind." There was something about that niggled Jarret's mind, Gatomon wasn't afraid of the dark? Then how come his Gatomon was? There was something important about that, but he couldn't remember what.

"Pepper breath!"

The cave became illuminated once again, Jarret sat down by Mimi and Izzy his brow knotted in thought. He touched the pendant around his neck for a second as if to reassure himself, and muttered the words to "Better Days" again.

"Thoughtful little verse." Sora said, "Who wrote it?"

"Would you believe me if I told you your daughter?" Jarret smiled, Sora's eyes went wide.

"My daughter?" Jarret nodded,

"There's a lot more of that, but I can only remember the first verse."

Suddenly the cave rocked violently with the noise of an explosion. Mimi clung onto Jarret to stop falling over, Matt did fall over and had to roll to stop from falling into the fire. Gabumon and Agumon lost their balance and fell into TK, who began to scrabble towards Tai, Davis and Kari who had been thrown sidewards by the blast. Small rocks fell from the cave roof and everyone covered their heads to shield themselves.

"What the hell's going on?" Mimi cried, before she and Jarret where thrown backwards over the rock they'd been sitting on by another explosion that caused more dust and small rocks to fall from the cavern ceiling.

"Let's get out of here!" Davis yelled over the noise and everyone rushed for the exit, tripping, stumbling and coughing as they went. They flooded out into the daylight, squinting against the brightness as their eyes adjusted to the natural glare.

It wasn't until their eyes adjusted that they could make out the towering figure of Nemisomon surrounded by at least a dozen Minotaurmon. They all bore the insignia of the evil ultimate and looked as though they were very eager to fight.

"Uh oh..."  


* * *

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ArchangelUK 0:-)**_**  
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**Kari's Angels: http://www.geocities.com/happy_hylian**


	9. Revenging Angel

**The Crest of The Heavens  
By ArchangelUK**

_I don't own digimon full stop, and that's the bottom line, because AAUK said so!  
_

Tai: Everyone's was tired of all the fighting so we stopped off in some caves for a few days, doing patrols and dealing with any of Nemisomon's dark digimon whenever we bumped into them. Everyone's getting on great now, even Jarret and Davis who seems to have grown up a bit much to all of our collective reliefs! Yolei, TK and Jarret went on patrol and found that Nemisomon has begun construction on a black dome, though we aren't quite sure what for yet. Soon aftert they got back the cave was rocked by explosions, we got out alright only to be confronted by Nemisomon and a dozen Minotaurmon! Here we go again...

**Chapter 9: Revenging Angel**

_"On the day there is 13 a choice is made, a path is taken, and that path shall lead 13 to light and 1 to shadow."_  
- The Prophecy of The Thirteenth DigiDestined

"Blast Rings!"

"Flower Ring!"

"Vulcan's Hammer!"

"Hand of Fate!"

"V-Lazer!"

"Tail Hammer!"

The battle was joined, the twelve Minotaurmon were strong - stronger than they should be. Each one of the chosen digimon were pitted against one in combat, ordinarily this would pose no problem but everyone was drained and ultimate was as far as anyone could go. Agumon could barely make it beyond champion he was so weak. How on Earth, after her exurtions recently, Palmon was able to still digivolve to Lillymon was a mystery to all. The DigiDestined cheered their partners on as they battled, the thirteenth though stood apart from them in the centre of the carnarge. Nemisomon and Jarret stared each other down.

"You look weak." The ultimate observed.

"Appearances can be deceptive."

"Your not as... bright as you used to be. What happened to your fancy gold glow?"

Jarret was indeed not glowing as brightly as he was when he first arrived. The golden shine that radiated from his clothing was now replaced by a colour closer to ochre than gold or even yellow. Jarret shrugged, trying to hide his own worry at his rapidly vanishing powers.

"It's at the cleaners."

"Cute Jarry, very cute."

Nemisomon looked at his hand and extended those long yellow claws, in his palm a dark sphere of energy began to grow. Jarret's eyes glowed white and he began to form a similar globe of light infront of him.

"You really think you can win?"

"It doesn't matter if I win."

"Oh?" Nemisomon was surprised, "Why is that?"

"It doesn't matter if I win. It only matters that they win."

Nemisomon growled, his lips curled in rage, a sneer rippling across his features. He brought his hand up, the hand that contained that vile energy ball and flung it with all his might towards Jarret.

"Fatal Darkness!"

"Eternal Light!"

The two spheres of light and darkness crashed into each other in a huge explosion, throwing Nemisomon and Jarret back away from each other.

Amid the dust and debry the two stood again both rather uneasy on their feet. The blast had dazed them both slightly, as from out of the shadows around Nemiosomon a dozen figures came charging towards the twelve chosen Digimon.

Angewomon deftly twisted to send her Minotaurmon sprawling into the dust, but somehow it rolled and managed to launch itself backwards through the air at her. She gasped and then grunted as the large horned creature struck her in the centre of the chest, they both fell down with an audible thud.

Stingmon and MetalGreymon had teamed up to deal with their foes and were pushing both back with powerful blows, eventually a Minotaurmon got a heavy blow in and the already drained orange dinosaur dedigivolved back into Agumon. Stingmon looked at his worsening odds and gulped, he took up an attack posture as the two dark digimon slowly marched towards him. Agumon made it back to Tai who tried to stop him from apologising.

"It's alright Agumon, we all know you were tired from before."

"But what about Stingmon?"

"He'll be okay." Ken came up and patted Agumon on the head.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that Ken, look." Davis pointed to Stingmon who was now being pummeled by the two Minotaurs. "Leave him alone ya big bullies!" The flame jacketed boy yelled, getting little response from pair who continued their assault.

"Flower Cannon!"

Lillymon's blast was easily dodged by the Minotaurmon, who used it's powerful punch to start a landslide of rock. Lillymon squealed and dived out of the way as a sizable slab of limestone crushed the spot where she'd been. She looked down at her front which was covered in brown dust and then up towards the bull which leered at her, she glared intently at it.

"Do you know how long it takes to get dirt out of this?" She screamed and charged at the digimon who nervously stood his ground. Lillymon wound up and punched the evil Minotaurmon right between it's bulging eyes sending it carrering over the rocks. Mimi and the others cheered and Lillymon grinned at them before turning around and holding her hand under her armpit.

"Owwwwwwwwwwwww."

The others battled away, the somewhat unusual tagteam of ExVeemon and Angemon were tackling 4 Minotaurmon the extra two having come from Stingmon. Now as Wormmon he lay in Ken's arms battered and bruised, Ken looked down at him with the upmost concern.

"Ken?"

"Yes Wormmon?" The digimon glanced up through tears of pain.

"Next time the Digital World needs our help can we pretend we're not in?"

Jarret was flung backwards by Nemisomon, who laughed as the youth bounced across the sandy terrain. He came to a stop and groaned as he tried to get up, Jarret's face was cut and a small dribble of blood was meandering down the side of his face. Nemisomon walked calmly towards Jarret, and stood over him.

"Are you ready to die now boy?"

"You know....you...should really learn not to underestimate me." There was a flare of gold and Jarret launched a fist of power up into Nemisomon's face sending him sprawling to the ground. 

Angewomon gritted her teeth as the Minotaurmon prepared to launch another powerful punch at her. "I've had just about enough of you." She concentrating, pulling in her holy energy and focusing it. Then she extended her arms and announced - "Heaven's Charm!" A pink cross of energy struck the digimon dead centre and it dissolved into data. Relieved Angewomon, stood up straight and went to go and help the underseige WereGarurumon but before she could something slammed into her back. It was Jarret, who had been thrown backwards straight into her. Both angel and human groaned from their positions on the floor.

"Puny insect." Nemisomon muttered then caught sight of the fallen Angewomon who lay crumpled beside Jarret. "Well, it looks as though I'll be able to kill two birds with one stone." He raised both arms above his head and the clouds began to grow dark, in contrast Nemisomon's eyes began to grow brighter. The cloud began to flow to his hands and he moulded them into a ball, purple electricity crackled between his hand and the air grew cold. Jarret tried to get up, then to try and push Angewomon away but he wasn't strong enough, he looked up to see the panic stricken faces of the other DigiDestined as they rushed over towards him. Jarret locked eyes with Tai and shook his head plaintively.

"Stop." Tai said and the others regretfully did so, "He doesn't want us to try and help him."

"We have to!" Kari insisted, "We need to save Angewomon and Jarret."

"And who'll save us?" Matt replied, they looked over and saw Jarret looking at them. "He knows we'll only get killed ourselves."

"What about the other digimon?"

"They're all tied up with the Minotaurmon!" All the remaining Ultimates and Champions were still locked in combat, Kari was beside herself as Nemisomon prepared to destroy her friends.

"Angewomon!"

Still in mid-battle Angemon heard her cry and wheeled round, he saw the fallen figures of Kari's partner and Jarret on the floor and Nemisomon standing over them. 

"Angewomon? NO!"

Beneath his helmet his eyes went wide with dread and a feeling of intense rage and determination came over him. His staff so often his tool of destruction glowed brighter than he had ever seen it do before.

"Rarrrrgggghhhhhh!"

With one swift motion he swung the white hot rod and it smashed right through the two Minotaurmon he was fighting, deleting them instantly. He didn't even pause for breath launching himself towards Nemisomon the white glow around him becoming even more powerful. At the same time TK's digivice began to beep frantically and also began to glow.

"I am victorious!" Nemisomon announced as he wound up to hurl his fatal projectile. "I am Nemisomon, and you have - huh?"

Then all anyone could here was, "ANGEMON DIGIVOLVE TO...."

And before Nemisomon could say any more a purple blade exploded through the front of it's chest, Nemisomon looked down at the sword blade surprised and MagnaAngemon's helmeted face appeared over his shoulder. Nemisomon's arms went limp, the attack already dissipated. MagnaAngemon clenched his teeth as he pushed the blade in further, deeper, grunting with effort, again and again until it was all the way through. Yellow ichore splatted the ground by Jarret's feet as Nemisomon's menacing eyes rolled back into his head. The angel removed his sword and the already dissolving body of Nemisomon slumped to the ground falling partly over Jarret's legs. He kicked the body away as Yolei and Cody tried to help him up, even in death Nemisomon wore a disturbing grin. Angemon helped Angewomon to her feet before the pair both dedigivolved back to Patamon and Gatomon.

Despite her feline instincts, the digimon was decidedly un-catlike in balance so she went onto all fours to compensate. Patamon looked as though he had done that one lap too many and was gasping for air, the others who had beaten off all the Minotaurmon also had returned to their rookie forms. 

Cody looked around the valley at the destruction they had all caused. "We won?" He asked surprised, Matt looked down at the small boy.

"Yeah, I guess we did." There was a pause.

"YAHOOOOOOO!" A wild cheer erupted from the kids, and they began dancing about in joy swinging each other round, pists pumping the air in celebration.

Jarret leant heavily against Izzy and Joe blood still slowly oozed from the gash on his face, he smiled a dazzling smile and gave a very long sigh.

"I don't believe it." He finally said, "He's actually gone."

"And your still here." Mimi pointed out, "No fading or rippling."

"Or falling through people. Yes, but that doesn't mean to say I was successful." Jarret said, suddenly thoughtful. "I'll shall have to go and see Azulongmon again, I -"

_Beep....Beeep...Beeeeeep...BEEEEEEEP...._

"What was that?" Joe asked, the noise brought the celebrations to an abrupt halt.

_BEEEEEEEP....BEEEEEEEEEP....BEEP-BEEP-BEEP..._

"Hey it's coming from Jarret's digivice." Izzy pointed to the elder boy's belt, Jarret removed his arms from Joe and Izzy's shoulders and cautiously removed the chrome D3. He lifted it to his eyes, scanning the data that was rapidly scrolling up the screen, all colour seemed to drain from his face and his eyes became paniced.

"What is it?" Joe asked shaking his shoulder, Jarret didn't respond but shook his head in disbelief.

_BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEEEEEP-BEEEEEP...._

"No...No it can't be! It can't...NO!" Jarret glanced over at a cloud of darkness that had formed near where Nemisomon had died, they all followed Jarret's glance and saw the cloud. But it wasn't water vapour, it was data. Digital data.

"Jarret! What is it?"

Jarret scrambled away from the cloud and made to throw his D3 as far away as he could, but a bolt of purple lightning exploded from the data cloud striking him between the shoulder blades.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHH!" He screamed and all that could be heard was the crackle of electricity, an agonising scream and the continuous menacing noise of the digivice in his hand.

_BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!_

* * *

**_If everyman was anyman, would they still review? Probably.  
  
_**_**ArchangelUK 0:-)  
  
**_**Kari's Angels: http://www.geocities.com/happy_hylian**  
**Kari's Angels (ArchangelUK's section) : http://www.geocities.com/happy_hylian/aauk/main.html**


	10. Truth Will Out

**NB: I've gone back and added some more to every chapter so far, so it might be a good idea to re-read, we also have a new character based intro a'la "Digimon Episode Introduction" for every chapter bar the first. AAUK 0:-)**

**The Crest of The Heavens  
By ArchangelUK**

_I do not own Digimon, neither do I own any Aces, Fours, Jacks or Kings. HA! Go Fish!_

Matt: We engaged the Minotaurmon in battle whilst Jarret tried to deal with Nemisomon but we were all still very weak. ExVeemon and Angemon were taking on two bad guys each and everyone was taking a hammering. Jarret got thrown into Angewomon which knocked them more or less out of it. Nemisomon went to destroy both of them but Angemon saw got a burst of energy and digivolved to MagnaAngemon! He ran Nemisomon through with Excalibur and deleted him, saving all of us. We thought we'd won - but suddenly Jarret's D3 began beeping and he was struck from behind by some energy wave! Gee, do we ever seem to get a break?

**Chapter 10: Truth Will Out**

_"On the day there is 13 a choice is made, a path is taken, and that path shall lead 13 to light and 1 to shadow."_  
- The Prophecy of The Thirteenth DigiDestined

The sound was blood curdling.

The purple energy stream seemed to suck at Jarret's body spinning him around and switching it's focus to Jarret's throat. The Digimon digivolved as best as they could to try and block the beam but all that did was steer it over their heads, or pull Jarret nearer the swirling mass of data.

"It's pulling him in!" Armadillomon cried and bit down onto the bottom of Jarret's trouserleg, in turn the others held onto limbs and each other. Palmon used her poison ivy to try and anchor the whole group to a nearby rock but to little effect and whilst this was all happening Jarret was still attached to the beam.

Everyone held on tightly to Jarret who was still screaming at the top of his lungs in agony. To no avail though it seemed, for the beam seemed to wrap around Jarret and wrenched him from their collective grasp. They could also now make out that beam was attached to the Crest of the Heavens which dangled around Jarret's neck. It lifted him, like some vile purple tendril into the air seemingly sucking the life out of him. The vampiresque beam seemed to be draining Jarret's energy, his clothing had now lost all colouring gold, yellow or otherwise and was now a rapidly lightening grey. Still he screamed.

Then, just as suddenly as it had struck him it stopped, dropping Jarret to be caught by Kabuterimon. They laid him down on the ground and after a minute he slowly began to open his eyes, Ken and Yolei however were focusing on something else. Izzy had noticed it too, the tendril had disappeared back into the data cloud and it had begun to condense smaller and smaller until it formed the shape of a small yellow digiegg. Jarret sat up despite the pain he was obviously in and stared at the egg, the rest followed his gaze.

"Nemisomon?" Jarret whispered,

"What? It can't be!"

"How -" Ken's question was cut off by a crack, and they all spun round. The egg which had only reformated a few seconds ago was already breaking open and a pair of yellow eyes could be seen. The others stepped back in shock.

"It is him!" TK gestured at the eyes, Kari held onto his arm tightly.

The beeping started again from Jarret's Digivice and the egg exploded outwards growing steadily and forming into a familiar looming shape. Nemisomon toppled forward slightly, staggering, but none the less kept his balance.

"This is impossible." Izzy said shaking his head in disbelief.

"Not quite impossible, Keeper of Knowledge unless I am able to acomplish it. What I did do was to achieve the unlikely."

Jarret finally got a hand on his digivice and to everyones amazement picked up a stone and smashed it down onto the chrome D3. The impact smashed it wide open, spilling glass shards, transistors, chips and circuitboards onto the valley floor.

"You are too late." Nemisomon whispered, Jarret looked up suddenly very tired.

"Jarret, what just happened." Kari knelt down by the fallen youth and looked into his eyes they were dull and sunken. She gasped, Mimi who she had knelt down next to put a hand to her mouth in shock - Jarret looked old. Very old. Much more than his 18 years, Jarret's browny/blond hair was shot through with silver.

"Something I didn't know was possible." He managed, trying unsuccessfully to get up.

"Obviously." Nemisomon smirked, pleased with his actions.

"I didn't realise you were so power hungry."

"Of course I am don't you recall what happened six years ago?"

"Six years ago?" Gatomon's thoughts went back to their conversation, Jarret had talked very reluctantly about when his parents and brother were killed. At the time he also mentioned something about an event 'six years ago' surely this must be the same one being talked about now.

"I don't need or want to remember about that day."

"I think they want to."

"Jarret." Mimi finally managed, "What's happened? What has he done to you?"

"He used my digivice to bridge the gap between his data and my crest and downloaded enough of my energy to restore himself. That's why I look..."

"...Old."

"Yes."

"But only a DigiDestined's digimon partner can share their energy and they only need a bit of it." Tai said confused. Mimi's mouth opened in a big 'oh' of shock, she on the other hand had figured some of it out.

"Jarret what does this all have to do with you?" Asked Cody.

"Yes Jarry - why haven't you explained it to them yet? Don't you think this would be a good time right now?" Nemisomon was weaker than he was letting on, his resurrection wasn't exactly complete yet as the new energy circulated his data pattern. He was in effect stalling for time, but very successfully.

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

"Why not, does it remind you of our times together? When we were happy?"

"Happy?"

"When we were family?"

"Family??" The others save for Mimi chorused

"Oh no..." Gatomon muttered suddenly understanding.

"I shouldn't have let you take that power so soon."

"Okay, what the hell is going on?"

"Tell us now Jarret!"

"OKAY!" Jarret yelled, he breathed in a couple of times composing himself. "Okay..." He said again more calmly, never once did his eyes shift from those of Nemisomon.

* * *

_Angemon held onto Gatomon and the tree for all he was worth, "We can't take much more of this!" Jarret sandwiched between the pair with Terrimon screamed against the deafening vortex, there was very little that could be done though. The attack of the MetalMinotaurmon was unexpected and powerful, no-one had seen such a digimon before._

_"We can't just hang here!" Yelled Danny as ExVeemon clung to him, Raven and the dedigivolved Gabumon. Danny squinted against the wind but the young Motomiya's sister Cara was in the way._

_"There's only one chance, it must be destroyed!" bellowed Jarret back, Angemon turned his head with some effort to look at Jarret._

_"No. Terrimon isn't ready to digivolve yet, he couldn't take that amount of power."  
"Yes I can." The little digimon squeaked,_

_"I don't think that you -" Angemon began,_

_"Good enough for me.." Jarret said,_

_"No Jarret don't!" Gatomon pleaded,_

_"..digivolve!"_

_"Terrimon Digivolve too...Ricomon!"_

"What's so special about that?" Joe asked turning towards Jarret, who sighed.

"If you'll let me finish."

_"Ricomon Digivolve too...Nemisomon!"_

"Oh...."

* * *

"Nemisomon is your digimon partner?"

"Was."

"Then this mess is all your fault?" Jarret shot Tai a glance that would have lowered the temperature of absolute zero a few degrees.

"MetalMinotaurmon was destroyed by him, but the recoil of the power from the Crest almost killed me and hurt many of us there. Some more so than others." Jarret paused and for the first time in a very long while silently cast his mind back to that day.

* * *

_"Patamon?"_

_"You hang in there Gatomon you hear? We've lost too many people already, too many of those we loved. I'm not going to lose you as well!"_

_"I'm afraid you must, my data is breaking down. I-I don't w-want to die Patamon."_

_"No. No no no, I won't let you!"_

_"Neither I nor you can do anything about it."_

_"Gatomon?"_

_"Remember me always sweet Patamon."_

_"No! Gatomon don't leave me."_

_"Always...."_

_"NOOOOO!"_

* * *

Jarret cringed at the memory, Nemisomon smiled knowing full well what he was thinking of.

"After that Terrimon vanished, we thought the power had consumed him, but he obviously came back to this time to do whatever he did."

"He did? Is this the thing that made you come back 34 years into the past?"

"Possibly."

"Why don't you tell them why the DigiWorld died really?" Nemisomon called suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

"I think you do know, you've just never thought of it."

"Stop speaking in riddles to me Nemisomon, if you have a point make it."

"Oh? Guardian powers, the balance, guardian powers gone, the balance is gone. DigiWorld go bye bye..."

"I - Oh no..." Jarret's wrinkled face went the whiteness of ice.

"What? What is it."

"Oh, good God no."

"So just why did your digiworld die." Davis challenged,

"It died because I left."

"What?" They exclaimed, Jarret hung his head and Nemisomon laughed,

"He is right. Without him there the digiworld must have lasted at least a good thirty seconds. Isn't that right Jarry?"

"I said don't call me that!"

"And of course as the child of knowledge will tell you, when one world goes..."

"...They all go." Izzy grunted the confirmation.

"So the great Jarret is not only responsible for the deaths of millions of digimon he is also responsible for billions of humans and other lifeforms dying."

"You are the one responsible!" Jarret yelled back, standing up again. He looked younger than he had, the silver had almost totaly vanished from his hair as had most of the signs of age. His strength aparently was returning to him Nemisomon noticed.

"You left, they died - true or false?" He cried, eagar to get this encounter over with quickly.

"True! But they would have anyway!"

"How do you know?"

"Not that you'd know but because the digiworld was falling down around my ears and there was nothing I could do to stop it."

"It matters not...murderer."

"I am not a murderer!"

"Oh yes, you are."

"I AM NOT!"

"Oh yes? Think about it some more Jarret, think about it some more. Do all the events lead to me? Or was it your responsibility all along? You left me on my own when I was Terrimon to look after that damn cat of yours and ignored me. You deserted your own digimon partner!" Nemisomon's voice was choked by anger and bitterness.

There was silence, an errie emotional stand-off, Jarret looked around at the DigiDestined. Their faces a mixture of anger, astonishment and disbelief. They weren't backing him up, they weren't believing him, Nemisomon backed away from them. Jarret started to charge towards Nemisomon screaming at him, but Nemisomon simply sidestepped him, the youth falling against a boulder.

"Not now boy, the final fight is not now..." _...Think some more. _He added mentally, Jarret stood there as Nemisomon disappeared, leaving only shattered beliefs behind him.

* * *

**_Authors, authors everywhere but not a review to read... Any Q's email or review please. Thankyou.  
  
_**_**ArchangelUK 0:-)  
  
**_**Kari's Angels: http://www.geocities.com/happy_hylian**  
**Kari's Angels (ArchangelUK's section) : http://www.geocities.com/happy_hylian/aauk/main.html**


	11. Sin & Sincerity

**The Crest of The Heavens  
By ArchangelUK**

_I do not own Digimon - This chapter sponsored (in part) by Gate of Destiny Cleaning Services Plc, their motto - "Waste? What waste?"_

Kari: We'd finally defeated Nemisomon, at least that's what we thought. But before his data dissipated, he latched onto the Crest of the Heavens and drained enough of Jarret's energy to reconstitute himself first as a digiegg, then right back up to ultimate. We thought it was impossible, until we learnt that Nemisomon is Jarret's digimon partner Terrimon! We were all too weak to fight, but in a series of revelations we found out that the all of the worlds in existence came to an end when Jarret left for our time - which makes him responsible for innumerable deaths and suffering. Someone's got some explaining to do...

**Chapter 11: Sin & Sincerity**

_"On the day there is 13 a choice is made, a path is taken, and that path shall lead 13 to light and 1 to shadow."_  
- The Prophecy of The Thirteenth DigiDestined

"I think I'd... I'd better go for the time being." Jarret's strength seemed to have returned to him, no sign of age suffered at the power transfer between himself and Nemisomon remained. He only looked emotionally drained as opposed to physically now. The other DigiDestined, or the majority of them anyway looked on his comment with disdain.

"Yeah. Don't be in too big a hurry coming back either." Tai growled, 

"Oh. Right." Jarret nodded slowly and trudged away. The barer of courage watched the elder male's retreating back with a furious gaze, Jarret could feel it burning into him.

"Tai..."

"Now don't you 'Tai' me Sora."

"But-"

"OR you Kari. If this is all his fault he can go and sort it out for himself, we'll deal with these dark digimon, he can clear up his own mess."

"There was no need to drag us into it." Davis agreed, folding his arms. Veemon copied his gesture and huffed, drawing a sigh of bemusement from Wormmon.

"You're forgetting of course that had he not followed Nemisomon back me and TK would be toast." Ken said trying to stick up for the retreating teenager.

"He's right." The green digimon said, his face looking even more concerned than it usually did - and that's something.

"It doesn't matter." Matt said raising his voice, "He should have told us it was his Digimon."

"And would you have believed him?" TK challenged, "Would you have helped him?"

"Of course." Matt snorted, Gabumon groaned not entirely believing his partner's statement.

"Or would you have said 'this is all his fault he can go and sort it out for himself'." Tai glared at TK which seemed to have no effect for the youngest of the original DigiDestined continued. "So we're going to clean up the stray Digimon are we Tai? I.e. the ones that Nemisomon has corrupted?"

"TK..." Tai began, but Mimi interrupted.

"Why can't you just help him! It's not as if he's risked much coming back here is it?"

"We win anyway!" Tai roared, "And he puts one measly incident against the fate of the entire Universe??"

"It wasn't one measly incident Tai!"

"Oh yeah? So what do you know that we don't? Huh Mimi, what do you know about Jarret."

"I-I-I... know nothing else."

"Precisely Mimi - you... know.... NOTHING. As per usual." Tears began to well in Mimi's eyes, Joe looked as though he was going to explode.

"THERE WAS NO NEED FOR THAT TAI!" He roared, stepping angrily towards the younger male who stepped back in surprise before composing himself.

"Well if she thinks he's so fantastic she can get out of here with him."

"That's ENOUGH!" Sora yelled, Mimi ran off away from Tai tears streaming down her cheeks. Tai instantly looked regretful but that didn't stop Joe having to be restrained. The remaining DigiDestined wandered off in different groups, a period of cooling off was in order.

* * *

"Mimi..." A hand appeared on her shoulder, shaking it gently. Mimi jumped in fright at her sudden company, she held a hand to her chest in relief it was only Sora.

"Oh, Sora. Sorry I was miles away."

"Actually I think you were about 500 yards around the corner there." The keeper of love said, jerking her head behind her.

"What?"

"Look Mimi, don't try to fool me. I see the way you look at him."

"I..." She went to protest but realised there wasn't much point in it. "Yeah, okay so I 'like' him."

"So what are you gonna do about it?" The girl put her hands on her hips and looked at Mimi intently, Mimi suddenly found the ground very interesting.

"Huh?"

"Come on Mimi, ignore Tai and Davis. It's not like I'm paying much attention to them by coming over here in the first place, they're wrong but to prove they are we need Jarret back with us. Besides," She paused, "He needs to speak to someone about it," Sora noticed Mimi wasn't looking at her. "You know something don't you? Something else that we don't."

"If I'm right." Mimi said slowly, "Then I can't tell you."

"Well that's helpful." Sora sighed, "I can get TK to go and talk to him if you want, it'd be no trouble."

"No!" Mimi blurted, "Ah, that is, I want to do it." Sora's face went from confused to smiling.

"That's my girl." She pushed Mimi in the direction Jarret went until the strawberry haired girl's legs got the idea of where to go. "Go and tell him, you never know he might feel the same way." She winked at Mimi who grinned back and set off to find Jarret.

* * *

"Are you okay TK." Kari put a hand on TK's elbow, he gave her a traditional lopsided grin.

"Yeah... Just a little mad I guess."

"About Jarret?"

"Partly." TK sat down by the base of a nearby tree, Kari sat down next to him and leant her head on his shoulder. TK smiled briefly before going into thought, barely registering the worried brow of Gatomon walk past followed by the concerned face of Patamon.

"Gatomon!" Patamon pleaded, "Tell me what's wrong." She looked around at him, her eyes full of sadness and longing. Longing to tell him what she thought she knew, to tell him what she KNEW she knew. She said neither, but shook her head sadly.

"I can't." She whispered, "It could... Would... affect things." The details about Jarret would affect the timeline, the 'other' thing would affect Patamon. It wasn't the appropriate time.

"Kari." Patamon whined turning towards the teenager, "Make Gatomon stop moping and tell us what's wrong."

"Patamon!" TK scolded, the orange winged digimon snorted.

"It was worth a try."

Despite herself Gatomon giggled, smiling at Patamon's attempted resourcefulness. "If you must know it is Jarret, I think... I think this is all something to do with me." The last part of this was barely a whisper, no one thought to question Gatomon's statement. Kari simply opened her arms and Gatomon bounded over and threw herself into her partner's grasp. Kari petted her friend fondly, she glanced up at Patamon who had perched on TK's head. He wanted to help her but didn't know how. TK took matters into his own hands, or arms rather, picking up the little digimon and placing him in between their laps. Kari found his comforting arm around her and they hugged their Digimon to them, the pair eventually snuggling together for comfort - their Digimon did too.

* * *

"So, now you know."

"Why didn't you tell us before."

"Because then you wouldn't have trusted me, and I wouldn't have been able to help you."

"The others don't exactly trust you know though do they."

"Maybe. But then again, maybe I've changed the timeline sufficiently to save my digital world."

"Why did you travel so far back?"

"Because this is where I was told it begun."

Jarret threw a pebble into the lake, skimming it along the surface. Mimi watched as it skipped once, twice, three times along the surface before it disappeared into the water.

"Azulongmon - my Azulongmon, was too weak to even be able to remember what the actual event was. All I know is that Nemisomon started it, the DigiDestined finish it and somewhere in-between then and the final battle something happens which directly leads to the accident. I don't know what, I don't know when, but I will stop it and they will live." He sighed audibly and threw another stone, this one didn't skip and just landed in the lake with a loud 'kaplunk' noise. Jarret watched the ripples, until they disappeared into nothing.

"But why you."

"Terrimon, Nemisomon, whatever he is now he is my digimon partner and therefor my responsibility."

"I don't see how you can blame yourself."

"That no longer matters now."

Jarret sighed and a repressed tear escaped from his eye, meandering down the side of his face.

"You're their son aren't you?" Jarret didn't hear the question at first and he blinked disbelievingly.

"You are TK and Kari's son." Mimi rephrased the question, Jarret shivered though Mimi doubted it was through cold.

"Yes." He croaked. "It was they who perished all those years ago, they who died in that damn car crash." Jarret screwed his eyes shut, more tears escaping the confines of the ducts. Mimi didn't know what to do, she'd comforted TK and Sora before, even Tai and Matt on two different occasions but not someone she cared for this much.

"The cat he referred to was Gatomon wasn't it." Jarret clutched at the heavy gold pendant that hung around his neck next to the tag and crest of the heavens.

"I know she's figured it out as well."

"You do?" Jarret chuckled despite his misery,

"She's one smart pussycat."

"So what did happen with Terriermon?"  
  
"Terrimon."

"Oh, sorry."

"For Gatomon the crash was too much for her, she was so badly scarred mentally by Myotismon that it just took everything out of her. She never fully recovered. Eventually we ended up in that fight and she died."

"Didn't she get reconfigured?"

"No. With Kari gone she simply didn't have the will or strength to live again." Jarret yanked out some grass that was annoying him.

"You have to tell them this. They deserve to know." He shook his head.

"No, to do so would radically change the way the timeline pans out. You all know they love each other, even now, but they must confront each other about it themselves."

Mimi nodded sadly and picked up a stone throwing it also, hers skipped four times before going under the surface. Jarret smiled slightly, "You always could do that."

"What?"

"Beat me by one."

"I don't understand."

"I'm from the future, I know you there, I know all of the guys."

"Are we, you know, close there?" Jarret looked perplexed for a second, wondering what she meant, deciding that the truth is better he replied 

"As close as your parent's friends can get to their children."

"Oh." Mimi had forgotten about the fact that she'd be about 45 in Jarret's time.

"You're still as sweet though," Jarret added, causing a small blush to appear on Mimi's cheeks. Jarret pretended not to notice, though his heart jumped a bit in hope.

* * *

"He's only around that corner you know." Matt said coolly, Tai grunted in response. "Mimi's round there now too." That DID interest Tai, he made to call for her to get the hell away from Jarret but then he remembered what he'd said earlier and closed his mouth. Davis was as stubborn if not more so than Tai, Matt had discovered. For the last twenty minutes he had been telling anyone who would listen the catalogue of little scrapes, fights and arguments Jarret and he or Veemon had been involved in.

Yolei groaned, "Knock it off already Davis."

"Please Davish! That's run through number three to my knowledge."

"My head hurts." Hawkmon groaned, Davis also groaned but for another reason.

"I don't get it though. Why are you guys still supportive of him."

"It's not that we entirely trust him anymore." Yolei began, "It's just... We know that he's obviously gone through a hell of a lot before coming back here."

"Not only that there's all this stuff he hasn't told us and knows he can't." Matt took over the case for the defence, seemingly having changed his mind about some things.

"He wants to." Sora sighed, "He really does, it's eating him up inside."

"How do we know that what he said before was a lie? About his parents?" Tai protested, this time it was Agumon who spoke up. His voice betrayed an annoyance that surprised the keeper of Courage.

"Do you want to tell Gatomon you think he's lying?" Tai remained silent. "The things he said; you can't fake those kind of feelings, you can't fake THAT level of emotion, THAT level of pain. Something bad happened. So bad as we now know it would have led to the end of everything. The fact Jarret came back, that Azulongmon sent him here - you're not telling me Azulongmon didn't know what he was doing?"

"Yeah." Gabumon agreed, "Azulongmon would have only sent Jarret back here if it was the last remaining option. The fact that Jarret didn't know, or at least didn't seem to know the whole story backs that up."

Sora leaned on Tai's shoulder; "We don't know what hardships he's gone through, we can only imagine."

"That's the whole point though, we can only imagine." He said getting up, "And imaginary things are rarely real."

* * *

"Can you - will you return?" A painfully long sigh escaped Jarret's lungs and Mimi wondered if she'd touched a nerve again.

"I don't know, to be honest I doubt it's possible."

"You can't get home?" She asked wide-eyed.

"If I change the timeline enough I wouldn't have had to come back here in the first place. If I were to try to go home I would find another Jarret there, I doubt he'd appreciate a double."

"So you're going to stay?"

"I don't have much of a choice. The future is constantly in motion, the past set, the present caught up in the moment."

His expression of forced happiness collapsed though as a new realisation dawned on him, Mimi saw this rapid swing back to depression and put her arm around his back.

"What is it?"

"He's right." It was not an admission, nor was it anything else but a statement. Jarret moved his head downwards so he was at Mimi's eye level, "Unless I succeed and change the timeline then all those beings will die because of me." Mimi said nothing, but brought her hands up to Jarret's face. Not entirely knowing why and moving completely on instinct she moved her head towards his and gently kissed him on the lips.

"You will succeed Jarret," she said as she moved away.

"No." He corrected, a hand on her cheek halting her retreat "We. We will succeed." And with a calm in his eyes she had never seen before he leant back in, and _he_ kissed _her_.

* * *

**_There's a little button on the bottom left there, if you like what you're reading please feel free to click it and let me know. Reviews are lovely things you know... they bring a smile to the face and speed up chapter 12.   
  
_**_**ArchangelUK 0:-)  
  
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**Kari's Angels (ArchangelUK's section) : http://www.geocities.com/happy_hylian/domain.html**


	12. Broken Bridges

**The Crest of The Heavens  
By ArchangelUK**

**_Big _**_apologies for not updating COTH sooner - hell the last one came out in June or something silly... ah well, I finished this the other day so I thought I'd post it. Lots of energy focused on Ripped and getting that completed then it'll be COTH that gets the main focus. Okies? Please feel free to review... you'll know if you're a COTH veteran that this is the one story of mine that tends to get overlooked by people. I do not own Digimon - This chapter is in partnership with Myotismon Blood Banks Ltd - "Donate blood today!"_

Sora: Everyone reacted badly to the news about Jarret being Nemisomon's partner, now everyone's torn as we're not sure we can trust him anymore. Gatomon's been acting strangely, and Mimi too - except that's because she's in love with Jarret. Eventually I took it into my own hands to push her in Jarret's direction and to get their feelings out in the open. They haven't come back yet, but I hope for them it worked! Now all we have to do is get to this Dark Dome thing, destroy it and to destroy Nemisomon (again) and everything will be fine.... Hopefully...

**Chapter 12: Broken Bridges**

_"On the day there is 13 a choice is made, a path is taken, and that path shall lead 13 to light and 1 to shadow."_  
- The Prophecy of The Thirteenth DigiDestined

Mimi and Jarret reappeared at the camp, walking hand in hand and the pink haired girl had a decidedly big grin on her face. Davis and Tai scowled however and her new boyfriend's emotions were just as negative, he still muttered to himself that it was his fault.

"Mimi"

"What do you want Tai." Mimi had a hurt look on her face, but it was a look of anger as well. Tai swallowed, he really hadn't meant what he'd said to her - if it was one thing she hated was the thought she was just some airhead. She might not be the brains of the outfit but she wasn't stupid either, there had been many times when they'd first been in the Digital World where she had proved any detractor wrong.

"Mimi, I'm sorry for what I said before. What I said to you; it was so very wrong, you've always been a valued member of the DigiDestined Mimi and your opinions are just as valid as everyone else's. I'm truly sorry." Tai lowered his eyes, shamefully.

"Apology..." Mimi said, rolling the word around in her mouth, thinking of whether it was genuine. " ...Accepted." Tai sighed in relief. "Anything else?"

Tai's gaze noticeably fell on Jarret for a few seconds. "No." The young leader of the DigiDestined trudged off back to Sora and Matt to tell them what he had done. Jarret sighed audibly as Tai retreated, Jarret had picked up his broken digivice and had reattached it to his belt, the scuffed up yet still shiny D3 was only a casing now. The majority of the insides as well as the LCD was dispersed over the rocky floor it was smashed against, Mimi blinked.

"What's with the case?"

Jarret shrugged, and put an arm around Mimi's waist. "I suppose I'm just used to it being there, it feels kinda odd without it. Not that it will work anymore obviously."

"Well maybe when this is all over maybe you can get a new one." Mimi said smiling, a gesture which Jarret reciprocated although Mimi could have sworn she saw some kind of emotion flash across his eyes. Sadness? Longing? Resignation? What was it she had said?

"Anyway, at least Tai apologised."

"Not to you though."

"No. I wasn't expecting him to, to be honest if I was him I wouldn't forgive me either."

Mimi frowned, "Well that's no reason to just ignore you."

Jarret gave her a little squeeze and chuckled, "Tai's hard headed, and he's the 'fight first ask questions later' type of person. Davis is just as bad, if not worse - he has Tai as a role model plus his own unique brand of stubbornness."

"But-" Mimi began, but Jarret placed a finger on her lips.

"-I know, I know. It was nice and cold wasn't it?"

"They still don't trust you." She sighed, "Is that going to be a problem?"

"Maybe. It's not like just because you're with me now they'll welcome me back with open arms. No, I'm gonna have to work on gaining their trust I guess. It's just that I'm not sure exactly how long we have left."

* * *

Nightfall came and the DigiDestined all returned to the same place, around the warmth and relative safety of their campfire. Gatomon looked at Mimi and sighed, she in turn sighed back. The two girls knew all too well the turmoil going on in Jarret's mind - they having figured out his secret. It had been a further two days since Jarret and Mimi had returned to the camp and things were still icy at best between Jarret, Tai and Davis.

Gatomon and Mimi had talked often about what they knew, or to be more precise what they 'didn't' know. Their talks were long and within these they had found a new admiration and respect for each other. Gatomon was upset and frightened, how could she die in this future? Digimon don't die - reconfigured yes, deleted maybe but to actually die? How could TK and Kari die? Why did Jarret have to come back to save them, and to save her? Mimi could understand completely, the pink clad young woman petted Gatomon fondly.

"Thank you." Gatomon said through her tears.

"Hmm." Mimi went seemingly oblivious to the white feline Digimon for the moment; the DigiDestined of Sincerity appeared lost in thought.

"What?"

"It can never be you know." Gatomon for a moment thought she'd gone bonkers, she asked the question again.

"What?"

"Me and Jarret." Mimi sighed, a tear lazily wending it's way down her cheek, she angled her head and rubbed it off against her shoulder. "When things are done," she said deliberately, "He told me that he'd stay with me but I don't think he believes that."

Gatomon stroked her chin, "If the future changes he won't have cause to be here."

"But if that were so then the events that will happen in the future will happen again and he will come back." Mimi said which only served to complicate the issue.

"With everything goes on in the universe I think it has better things to do than allow time to get in a loop. To be honest it'll probably all revolve around Jarret."

"Revolve around him?"

"If he fixes things, technically he could just disappear!"

"No!" Mimi whimpered, "That can't be."

"It's a possibility, I don't like it either." Gatomon rubbed Mimi's leg trying to convince her not to cry.

"W-Would we remember him?"

Gatomon offered a half-smile, "Of course. I don't think fate could be that cruel."

Mimi went back to beside the dozing Palmon and Jarret, "I hope not."

"Me too." Gatomon bounded over to where Kari was located next to TK as usual she noted, then snuggled next to a sleeping orange fur ball with big ears. Mimi wrapped her blanket around herself and Jarret, the future DigiDestined opened an eye when he was sure Mimi was asleep and sighed having listened in on the entire conversation.

_So do I._ He thought silently, as the flickering embers of the fire gave their last light.

* * *

Nemisomon paced up and down the long corridor, yellow claws clicking on black marbled floors. A constant rat-a-tat that would drive a normal person crazy after five minutes, yet as this was Nemisomon no one dared to complain. "How did he defeat me? HOW?" Screamed the Digimon, his face contorting with rage and his eyes glowing a fiery red. Eventually Nemisomon spun on his scaly heel and made for his main chamber, a snivelly Bakemon awaited him there.

"By your command master." The ghost Digimon bowed humbly.

"I need a test." Nemisomon said simply.

"A test master?"

"Yes a test." Nemisomon flexed his fingers, "A test for Jarret." The Bakemon looked confused, "You see the amount of energy I stole for him was considerable and it's inherent power very strong. It therefore must have weakened the boy significantly. I feel so much stronger than I did, exponentially so. I want to see how much power he still possesses and if he does have any I want it used up before he gets here."

The Bakemon bowed, "Master is wise."

"Yes he is." Nemisomon chuckled, "But who to use? It must be a strong enough adversary for their entire group."

"If I may Master, I do have a suggestion."

"Really?" Nemisomon was genuinely surprised, but the Bakemon didn't seem to notice this and instead floated over to a console and began flicking some switches. In a few seconds a picture materialised on a nearby screen.

"Forgive me master, we have had this Digimon working in the foundries of your Dome for some time. Being somewhat, err, abnormally large..."

"He could do a lot of damage, and if he were to say Dark Digivolve..." Nemisomon began to laugh out loud. "This one? Oh yes, this one will do nicely."

The march was long and ever onward; the journey to where the Dark Dome was situated was a perilous one. Mountain ranges, dense forest and scorching desert all had to be breeched. The flying Digimon were getting plenty of exercise finding the best routes to traverse the obstacles that lay in their path.

Joe had once said of Infinity Mountain that he had had his life's quota of rock climbing, a viewpoint shared by the majority of those around him. However, the mountains were the least of their worries, the forest was even deadlier than the desert. The desert had little in it, but the forest was dense and had many many hidey-holes, which could accommodate the discerning attacker. Soon there would be a foe stalking them, but he wouldn't care for stealth tactics or guile. It wanted to destroy, anything and everything that got in its way, at least, as soon as Nemisomon had finished his final adaptions.

* * *

"He's magnificent." The head Bakemon said it's voice full of awe.

"He was so before I altered him, before the infection took hold. Now he is my servant and a mighty warrior to my cause." Nemisomon stepped forward towards the giant Digimon. "What is your name?"

"Whatever you wish it to be master." The voice was deep and booming, the artificial light glinted off of his teeth and claws while the sign of the infection glowed a yellow around the normally orange skin.

"Then, what exactly are you?"

"I am Greymon, the first Greymon, the first of the many and the first of the chosen. The first of Courage and the first of Light, I am your servant."

"Very well Greymon, the first Greymon." Nemisomon leered, "What is your mission?"

"I will reunite with Tai and Kari."

"And what will you do then?"

"I will DESTROY them!"  


* * *

****_**ArchangelUK 0:-)  
  
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